Monday, August 25, 2014

Blog Tour Kick Off and Giveaway! Solomon's Whisper by Sandra Brannan

Solomon's Whisper (Book 5 in the Liv Bergen series) 
by Sandra Brannan

As Liv Bergen investigates the long-ago murder of her niece, she uncovers a well-guarded secret—and stumbles into one the most prolific killer she’s faced yet.
Once an amateur sleuth, Liv “Boots” Bergen has now found her footing as an official FBI agent. It should be Liv’s dream career—she’s working closely with a bureau legend, Agent Streeter Pierce, as well as the exotic Agent Jack Linwood, with whom she shares a growing romance. Liv has proven to be an adept agent, and the whole office has been moved to a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in central Denver.
And yet, doubt plagues her. Liv is tormented by the knowledge that her work with the FBI could endanger her extended family—and has almost resolved to leave the bureau as a result. Agent Streeter Pierce, who harbors an affection for Liv that sometimes transcends the professional, comes up with an unorthodox plan to keep her around: she can investigate a cold case that’s especially important to her, the kidnapping and murder of her ten-year-old niece, Brianna.
Liv jumps at the chance, but her focus on finding Brianna’s killer is soon diluted. Piece by piece, the case reveals itself to be just one point in a harrowing series of murders. Spanning decades and the country, the web of crime Liv uncovers causes her to question everything—including the integrity of her own colleagues. (author website)
I'm told there will be 7 books in this series and I am grateful to have been a part of recommending them to a world of readers. I met the author back in 2010 at the Book Expo in NYC. We were both  new to that scene but hit it off and I, in turn, became a huge fan of her books. I am lucky to have been able to "kick off", so to speak, her blog tours of the last four books and I couldn't imagine not doing it again this  year. So here I am.
My reading and blogging pace has definitely slowed in the last few years but I am still an active reader and recommender of all the literary things I love. I am happy to report the all the Liv Begen fans out there, that #5 is a winner. I've liked all of the books but only the first and the fourth so far have really WOWED me. 
Book 5 Solomon's Whisper is just as personal as Noah's Rainy Day, this time dealing with the disappearance and the murder of her niece. I liked that family angle again, it brought even more depth to Liv's character. We see more of a romantic side to Liv, with her relationship with Jack and her partnership with Streeter in the FBI. She's not as clunky as she has been in past books. She is quick witted and becomes a bit more sure of her role, having now become an official agent with the FBI. And the ending? Well, that I did NOT expect. 
It's necessary to read these books in order, because of the simple evolution of Liv's character  and her relationships with those around her. This book is a bit dark dealing with child abduction, murder, rape and pedophilia. It's tough at times but any good thriller is going to have a bit of that graphic nature in it. 
If you are new to Sandra's books, check out my past reviews. In the Belly of Jonah, Lot's Return to Sodom, Widow's Might, and Noah's Rainy Day.
Sandra has a lot of fun things going on in conjunction with the release of this book. She has a fantastic giveaway going on.
*Readers, you may choose to enter to win either an Amazon Fire or a Nook Glo Light, along with a piece of Black Hills Gold Jewelry (worth $50).
Please leave a comment if interested and an email address. Winners will be chosen by September 2! 
Find out more about these great books and the author at the links below.

Author Links below:
Author Website
Facebook

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Whew. Here I am!

Wow. Okay. It's been almost two months since I posted. Sheesh. Summer is busy and blogging is NOT  happening. But I have been reading...kind of. I've been listening a lot more than reading but I feel like I'm still maintaining a literary life. :)

For my reading pleasure, I finished a few books...not anything overly stellar. I'm still waiting for that!
Out of Bounds by Dawn Ryder. I signed on to do an erotica review and well, I'm just not that into you. Sorry, erotica genre. You will have to go. I tried. I really tried.

Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson. This was fun. Read it for my book club. It made me extremely hungry! Love my foodie memoirs.

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert. HUGE Little House of the Prairie fan so I obviously loved reading this one.

Coreygography by Corey Feldman. He was not my favorite Corey. I'm Team Haim all the way but this memoir opened my eyes up to him as a person and now I feel much differently towards. Very smart, well put together memoir about the realities of being a child star.

For my listening pleasure, I've been a bit busier.
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. WOW! How amazing this was. So spooky, so thrilling. Really hard to get out of my car while listening to this! Highly recommended.

Reality Boy by A.S. King
This was a sad tale of a very dysfunctional family. Narrator was right on but it was not a fun listen. I ended up hating just about everyone in there.

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner
I've listened to her books before and they have always had amazing narrators. This was a downer of a book but really well told and written.

Telling it like it is by Tori Spelling
I had to do it. It was a quick listen narrated by her and it was super dramatic and over the top but pretty fun to listen to.

Fun literary news. I met Hilary Clinton last month at a book signing. Bought at copy of her book Hard Choices and got it autographed. Very fun. Very memorable event. :)

I am not saying yes to reviewing any books this summer or maybe early fall, just trying to enjoy what I have.

Hope all is well with all of you!

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child