Book Review of Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

I should apologize to Phenix Publicity and the authors - my review for Ted Dekker & Erin Healy's Burn was long in coming! It took me a while to get started because of prior commitments and just other things taking over, but once I got started, it was so hard to put this book down.




The blurb:
Burn uniquely combines the heart-pounding suspense, supernatural elements and the trademark plot twists Dekker fans have come to know and love with Healy’s strong feminine voice and affinity for nuanced emotional connections.

“This genre of fiction is often dominated by male authors and male protagonists,” says Healy, award-winning editor and owner of WordWright Editorial Services. “I think women who like supernatural thrillers but are looking for a more feminine narrative voice, and strong female characters will connect with Burn.”

In Burn, Janeal Mikkado’s world is turned upside down when powerful criminal Salazar Sanso promises her a new life if she helps him recover a vast sum of money from her father, a leader in their gypsy kumpania. When the plan goes awry and the camp is attacked and burned
by Sanso’s men, Janeal finds herself faced with two choices: save her best friend who is about to be consumed by a fire or disappear with the million dollars stolen from her father. Her decision will alter the course of her life forever.

The past Janeal thought had burned away eventually rises from the ashes. The sudden reappearance of the best friend and boyfriend she left for dead, along with the malevolent Sanzo, threatens the high-powered life she has made for herself away from the gypsy camp.
There’s a debt to be paid for the money she found: she must make a new life-or-death choice—but this time, escape is not an option.

Review:
Burn was my first exposure to Ted Dekker & Erin Healy writing together. In Burn, Dekker & Healy have created complex female lead characters. Janeal, the lead protagonist, is a sympathetic and nuanced.

Born of mixed heritage and treated as an outsider by the Rom and the outside world, Janeal quick to react in a crisis. Janeal finds herself a pawn in power struggle and she's forced to choose between her father and security. Janeal struggles with the repercussions of this choice for years to come.

Burn starts out strong - I found myself rooting for Janeal to rise above her situation. I found the paranormal angle to be a bit disappointing, although other readers might enjoy this aspect of the book. Overall, Burn is a fun, thrilling read.

ISBN-10: 1595544712 - Hardcover $24.99
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 12, 2010), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the Phenix Publicity.

About the Authors:
Ted Dekker is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books, which have sold a combined 3.6 million copies worldwide. He began his career writing spiritual thrillers, and has since crossed over into mainstream fiction with recent titles such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed and BoneMan's Daughters. His novels Thr3e and House became feature films, and more of his books are in development with Lionsgate Entertainment. Learn more at his website www.teddekker.com

Erin Healy will release her first stand-alone novel this spring with Never Let You Go (Thomas Nelson | May 2010 | 9781595547507 | Hardcover |$17.99), a new brand of fiction building on her work with Dekker that melds supernatural suspense with relational drama. She lives in
Colorado Springs, Colo., with her husband, Tim, and two children.
Visit her website at www.erinhealy.com to learn more

Thank you so much to Cristina and Phenix Publicity for this review opportunity!

Book Blog Tour of In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck

Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck.


The blurb:
In 1906, the Chinese in California lived in the shadows. Their alien customs, traditions, and language hid what they valued from their neighbors. . . an left them open to scorn and prejudice. Their communities were ruled -- and divided -- by the necessity of survival among the many would-be masters surrounding them, by struggles between powerful tongs, and by duty to their ancestors.

Then, in the wake of a natural disaster, fate brought to light artifacts of incredible value among the Monterey coast: an ancient Chinese jade seal and a plaque inscribed in a trio of languages lost to all but scholars of antiquity. At first, chance placed control of those treasures in the hands of outsiders -- the wayward Irishman who'd discovered them and a marine scholar who was determined to explore their secrets. The path to the truth, however, would prove to be as tangled as the roots of the ancient cypress that had guarded these treasures for so long, for there are some secrets the Chinese were not ready to share. Whether by fate, by subtle design, or some intricate combination of the two, the artifacts disappeared again. . . before it could be proved that they must have come there ages before Europeans ever touched the wild and beautiful California coast.

Nearly a century would pass before an unconventional young American scientist unearths evidence of this great discovery and its mysterious disappearance. Taking up the challenge, he begins to assemble a new generation of explorers to resume the perilous search into the ocean's depth. . . and the shadows of history. Armed with cutting edge, modern technology, and drawing on connections to powerful families at home and abroad, this time Americans and Chinese will follow together the path of secrets that have long proved as elusive as the ancient treasures that held them.

This striking debut novel by a masterful writer weaves together two facinating eras into one remarkable tale. In the Shadow of the Cypress is an evocative, dramatic story that depicts California in all its multicultural variety, with a suspense that draws the reader inexorably on until the very last page.

Review:
In the Shadow of the Cypress is an unusual and engrossing read. The book is told from three points of view: that of Dr. Charles Gilbert, a professor at Stanford University in 1906, that of his contemporary, Dr. Lao-Hong, a Harvard-educated Chinese who takes an active role assisting the Chinese community, and that of Charles Lucas, a graduate student at Stanford in the present. At the center of the book is a mystery of unique Chinese artifacts that were first discovered in Northern California in 1906, at a time that Chinese immigrants are marginalized.

The novel begins with the narrative of Dr. Charles E. Gilbert, a professor of marine biology at Stanford. As Gilbert describes life in Northern California during the early 1900s, he sympathizes with the local Chinese as they face open discrimination and attacks on China Point. Gilbert learns about the discovery of unique Chinese artifacts and his fascination with the mysterious artifacts leads him to a great mystery.

Then the novel the impact that the artifacts have on the local Chinese community from the point of view of Dr. Lao-Hong, a contemporary of Dr. Gilbert's. Dr. Lao-Hong is a Harvard graduate and well respected member of the Chinese community. Born, raised and educated in America, Dr. Lao-Hong often shares a "semi-Western sensibility" and often feels torn between two cultures. In a society where family ties and connections are of critical importance, Dr. Long-Hong is fortunate in his family and clan; he is nephew to two highly respected directors of the powerful Three Corporations. As the representative of Three Corporations, Dr. Lao-Hong tasked with balancing conflicting claims over the artifacts that would respect the people and town where the artifacts were discovered, the local tongs and his clan, and the interests of Mainland China.

When as a student at Stanford, Luke comes across Dr. Gilbert's notes on the artifacts and he immediately recognizes the importance of this groundbreaking discovery. Luke tries to decipher the symbols and enlists the expertise of Robert Wu, a Chinese American PhD candidate. Working together and aided by cutting edge technology, Luke and Robert decipher the mysteries of the ancient Chinese artifacts.

Thomas Steinbeck's In the Shadow of the Cypress is a well-crafted and fascinating read. The mystery of the artifacts drew me in but I found the descriptions of Dr. Lao-Hong and the Chinese communities to be the best part of the book. Steinbeck weaves an intriguing tale and offers a sympathetic look at a hidden culture.

1439168253 - Hardcover $ 25.00
Publisher: Pocket (April 6, 2010), 256 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Thomas Steinbeck began his career in the 1960s as a combat photographer in Vietnam. Along with his writing an producing obligations, he is in demand as a public speaker, lecturing on American literature, creative writing and the communication arts. He lives in California with his wife.

Thank you so much to Sarah and PocketBooks for this review opportunity!

Free coffee?

Just passing on this offer from Dunkin' Donuts

Book Contest Winners!!

Here are the latest winners - some of these announcements are quite delayed! All the winners have until noon next Wednesday to send me their mailing addresses before I select replacement winners. Thanks so much for participating!

Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee

Tracey D (booklover0226) - confirmed
Maureen (mce1011) - confirmed
Christine (womackcm) - confirmed
Luvdaylilies -confirmed
Nightdweller20 (jaam121388)


Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

cyeates - confirmed
Aimala127 - confirmed
APSkap - confirmed


The Crazy School by Cornelia Read

Benita (bgcchs) - confirmed
zenrei57 - confirmed
Bani (wakeupangel) - confirmed

The 3-Day Cleanse by Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss

enyl - confirmed
misusedinnocence - confirmed
mannasweeps - confirmed
miss.savetheplanet
rhoneygtn - confirmed

The Wives of Henry Oades by Joanna Moran

Daphne R. - confirmed


The Undervalued Self by Elaine Aron

catss99 - confirmed
cheznishilia - confirmed
nancyecdavis - confirmed


Jordan by Susan Kearney

gcwhiskas - confirmed
pbclark - confirmed
theluckyladybug - confirmed
dawnpnr
romancebookaddict - confirmed


Montana Legacy by R.C. Ryan

usignolc - confirmed
alliwantandmorebooks - confirmed
bookofsecrets - confirmed
castings - confirmed
magenta 2 red - confirmed

A huge thank you to TLC Book Tours and Hatchette Book Group for generously sponsoring these book giveaways!

Book Giveaway: Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Valerie and Hatchette Book Group are generously sponsoring a giveaway of Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

About the Book:
"Admissions. Admission. Aren't there two sides to the word? And two opposing sides...It's what we let in, but it's also what we let out."

For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission.

Admission is at once a fascinating look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past return and shake a woman's life to its core.

About the Author:
Jean Hanff Korelitz was raised in New York City and graduated from Dartmouth College and Clare College, Cambridge. She is the author of the novels A Jury of Her Peers (1996), The Sabbathday River (1999), The White Rose (2005), and Admission (2009), as well as a children's novel Interference Powder (2003) and a book of poems, The Properties of Breath (1988).

She has contributed articles and essays to many magazines including Vogue, Real Simple, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, More and Travel and Leisure (Family) and the anthologies Modern Love and Because I Said So. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband, Princeton professor Paul Muldoon, and their children, and works full time as a writer and part time as a chauffeur (mom).

In 2006 and 2007 she worked for Princeton's Office of Admissions as an outside reader.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please share an anecdote about your own college admission process or about student life.
Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 30, 2010.

Thank you so much to Valerie and Hatchette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Book Blog Tour of R.C. Ryan's Montana Legacy

Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of R.C. Ryan's Montana Legacy! The first in her new series involving the McCord cousins, Montana Legacy introduces us to three complex and gorgeous heroes: Jesse, Zane and Wyatt.

Anna and Hatchette Books Group are sponsoring a giveaway of 5 copies of Montana Legacy - so, head over to here to sign up.

I'd previously reviewed Montana Legacy, and want to share the review with those of you who might not have caught it the first time.

Review:
The McCord cousins were closer than brothers when they lived on their grandfather's sprawling cattle ranch in Montana. It was a working ranch and prosperous but the family's legacy also included a long lost treasure in buried gold. This treasure which was generally regarded as the McCord curse because of the obsession that fell on the different generations - each trying to find what had long been buried and lost.

The day of Gabriel McCord's funeral was painful for everyone, but particularly hard on Jesse McCord. Of the three grandchildren, he was the one who had stayed on the ranch with his grandfather. Aside from the deep loss, he dreaded having to deal with his cousin who never bothered to keep in contact or drop in to visit them over the years. There was his cousin Zane McCord who moved to California when he was a child. Zane stayed out West and became a famous actor in his own right, but never once reached out or came back to visit. Then there was Wyatt, whose parents took him traveling. Even after the accident that killed them, Wyatt continued on his travels - working on ships, all sorts of jobs in far off places - but never headed home. As Jesse, Wyatt and Zane find themselves living on the ranch together, they slowly adjust to their shared responsibilities and rediscover their old friendships. The friendship between the cousins is one of the interesting subplots of Montana Legacy. It's clear that R.C. Ryan intends to give each of the cousins their own fleshed out stories - their banter and camaraderie certainly adds to the fun of Montana Legacy.

The novel centers on Jesse and Amy Parrish, his longtime and long lost love. It's clear from the start that they're both still attracted to each other and that they still care about one another, but it isn't until the very end of the novel that we learn what has kept Jesse and Amy apart for years. Montana Legacy has twists and turns, a mystery and danger - as well as a fun, satisfying romance.

ISBN-10: 0446548618 - Mass Market Paperback $6.99
Publisher: Forever; 1 edition (March 1, 2010), 304 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:
New York Times bestselling author R.C. Ryan has written more than ninety fiction novels, both contemporary and historical. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.
The Lost, an anthology of stories by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, and R.C. Ryan writing as Ruth Ryan Langan was published in Fall 2009. Ms. Ryan’s story, “The Legacy,” is an exciting tale of intrigue and other-worldly adventure.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Ms. Ryan has given dozens of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News, as well as Good Morning America. Learn more at R.C. Ryan's website at http://www.ryanlangan.com/about.html

Listen to an interview with R.C. Ryan at Blog Talk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub/2010/03/10/interview-w-rc-ryan-author-of-montana-legacy

Want your own copy? Head over to the giveaway on Starting Fresh and the other sites on the Montana Legacy blog tour.

Participating Sites:
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway, Guest Post 3/22/2010
http://reesspace.blogspot.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/22/2010
http://reesspace.blogspot.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/22/2010
http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com Review 3/22/2010
http://zestynachos.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/22/2010
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com Giveaway 3/22/2010
http://chaoticbookobbsession.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A 3/23/2010
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/24/2010
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/24/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A 3/24/2010
http://www.mgpblog.com Review, Giveaway 3/25/2010
www.cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/25/2010
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/25/2010
www.justshortofcrazy.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/28/2010
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/28/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review, Giveaway 3/29/2010
http://www.takingtimeformommy.com Review, Giveaway 3/29/2010
http://triciareads.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway 3/31/2010
http://brokenteepee.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 4/1/2010
Marta's Meanderings Feature, Review 4/1/2010
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com Review, Giveaway 4/1/2010
http://thebooktree.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway 4/1/2010
http://www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 4/2/2010
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 4/2/2010
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 4/2/2010

Friday 56: Week 39

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here's mine from a book on my review list for March, Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick:

Baldwin glanced towards de Braose's large striped pavilion, its interior luminous with lanterns and loud with the noise of hearty masculine camaraderie. "John's going to have to offer a lot to make Aymer of Angouleme sell his virtue."

Book Giveaway: FOXY by Pam Grier

Anna and Hatchette Book Group are generously sponsoring a giveaway of 3 copies of Foxy by Pam Grier!

About the Book:
Beautiful, bold, and bad, Pam Grier burst onto the movie scene in the 1970s, setting the screen on fire and forever changing the country's view of African American actresses. With a killer attitude and body to match, Grier became the ultimate fantasy of men everywhere. But she quickly proved that she was more than just a desirable film goddess. She had the brains, courage, and tenacity to sustain a career that would span more than 30 years. In FOXY, she chronicles the good, bad, and steamy highlights in her life and career.

About the Author:
Pam Grier started her career in the early 1970s, starring in a string of moderately successful women-in-prison films and blaxploitation films, and has generally remained in the public eye, starring in movies such as Coffy, Foxy Brown, and Jackie Brown.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please tell us which new release books you're looking forward to reading this year.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 30, 2010.

Thanks so much, Anna and Hatchette Book Group for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Book Giveaway: Iron Man 2 by Alexander Irvine

Anna and Hatchette Book Group are generously sponsoring this giveaway of 5 copies of Alexander Irvine's Iron Man 2.

About the Book:
"I am Iron Man." With those words, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark revealed his secret identity. Now a famous high-tech superhero, he uses his powers to protect mankind. Yet things are not going well for Tony Stark. The U.S. military demands control of the most powerful weapon on earth--the Iron Man suit. His beautiful new assistant has a strange, mysterious agenda while his best friend, Rhodey, has betrayed him. And Tony is hunted by a vengeful Russian criminal armed with a lethal technology that may be stronger than Tony's suit. But even as he fights his demons, the hero faces his greatest threat--one that no armor can defend against . . .

About the Author:

Alexander Irvine's most recent novels are Buyout and The Narrows. He is the author of nonfiction books including The Vertigo Encyclopedia and John Winchester's Journal, as well as comic series Daredevil Noir and Hellstorm, Son of Satan: Equinox. He teaches at the University of Maine. Find out more at http://alexanderirvine.net/.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share a YA book recommendation - please tell us the title, author, and why you recommend the book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 30, 2010.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway!