Diana Palmer – Heart of Stone

Book 37 in the Long Tall Texans Series

To be truthful I really dont know why I still read this series, or indeed this author. Perhaps its become somewhat of a tradition for me, or perhaps I just keep hoping that there will be a suprise in the story? Whatever it is I still keep coming back to them.

I started reading Diana Palmer and the Long tall texans series donkey’s years ago when I was an impressionable teen devouring mills and boons romance novels, at the time Ms Palmer was one of my all time favourite writers, lots of alpha males and sweet virginal women finding love. And the stories are still the same …sometimes almost identical. There have been a few good books along the way that I really enjoyed but this wasnt one of them, in fact I would have to say that I have read this story quite a few times before from Ms Palmer, and it was boring. Sorry but thats my opinion!

Diana Palmer needs to move on, I still like Alpha males but I like a woman who can tame him, not just submit mindlessly. In this story Boone the ultra rich succesful rancher has been ignoring his sisters best friend Keely for years, to hid the fact that he is in fact attracted to her. Keely in turn has loved Boone for years, but she is a poor abused mouse of a child/woman. Ok need I go on? not really cos this could be any number of the the other Long tall texan books. You know whats going to happen, he’s going to be really rotten to her, push her away, protect her, seduce her, then marry her. Oh and dont forget the drug dealers who are after the heroine! (the new constant in these books)

So why do I still keep reading them? I really do think its simply because she was one of my first favourite authors and I am loyal to her, but I really, really do wish just for once her heroine would be in her thirties, with a kick butt attitude who shocks the pants of the big tough alpha male. Oh well maybe the next one will be better!!!! (and you can bet your bottom dollar I will read it!)

Tazallie

Jeanne C Stein – Legacy

Legacy is the fourth book in the Anna Strong Series.

Anna is a vampire, who was turned agaisnt her will and is desperately trying to retain her human life as a bounty hunter and as a daughter, lover and friend.

Each book has left me with a feeling that there is a back story just waiting to explode, but it hasn’t happened yet!
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Anna, she didnt want this to happen to her, she just wants to be left alone to live this new and often difficult life, and yet from the very first she has been pushed into a direction that she just dosen’t want to go. All of her human relationships are crumbling before her very eyes, no matter how hard she tries to hold on to them.

I like this series, but it isn’t a page turner, however it does keep me looking forward to the next book, hopefully to solve the mystery that all the other supernaturals seem to be keeping from her. Just what does Williams want from her? and why is he so determined to get rid of her family? What is this destiny that people keep hinting at?

This book was perhaps a little slower than the others but I get the feeling it was a way of moving the series in a particular direction, perhaps setting up the pieces for the hidden sub plot that is hinted at throughout the series. Regardless it was a good read, if a little lacking in depth in places.

Tazallie

1) The Becoming
2) Blood Drive
3) The Watcher
4) Legacy

Happy Birthday or anniversary of something like that!

Today makes it exactly 2 years that I have in fact been the unicorntreebookshopboss!

Yes indeed on this day 2 years ago I did in fact sign over all the worldly goods I did not possess and indeed the hope of having them! in exchange for the messy little bookstall that was at the time browse awhile books! and now two years on it’s not so messy, not so little and indeed not so bad!

I am still impoverished and tortured by minions, but at least its my poverty and my minions and in exchange I have the ability to read whatever book I want ’cause I have thousands of them!

I have a range of speciality genres and markets that match my likes!

The newest of these of course being the Christian Books (completely with its own unit! see not so little!) and I am so glad to have these on board, to be able to spend some of each day discussing a subject I absolutely love is phenomenal and a real dream continuing on.
Today’s discussion was on the Shack and the imagery presented as to God and if it is indeed heretical and if so why?
This addition hasn’t come without pain and heartbreak, but what it has come with is a continuing commitment and fervour to serve and reach out, after all pretty much all my book career had been in this section of the book trade and leaving it was painful (though also thrilling and enjoyable on another level as I was moving into the sphere of all books and not just one section!) but I remained resolute and with God’s grace and a smidgen of faith in face of adversity it came to be that I got it back this year, lets hope that together we can all continue to grow it – oh and did I say that Advent Candles and Advent & Nativity Books and Christmas Play material came in this week?? No? well it did – so if you are a church then get in touch as we are now taking Advent & Christmas orders!

Then of course we have the Craft section – formerly an independent business in its own right this came into our safekeeping a year ago and now lends itself wonderfully to our creative talent discussions and displays – believe it or not I am in fact a whizz at tea-bag folding, usually after they have been dried out from the copious cups of tea needed to cope with minion antics! This is still called Al’s Arts & Crafty Bits, but of course its now housed in Unicorn Tree Books!

Next is the LGBT section which is continuing to build a following and reputation and expanding as time goes on. The yaoi manga has been going phenomenally well.

All in all I am pretty proud of the changes that the shop has undergone and hope that in the years to come these will continue to grow and develop as we go forward together in faith, hope and community commitment!

So as its a new year we have old news to report on and new resolutions to put forward!
So old news – our sponsored charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity was given £373.00 in the end, given our target was originally for £200 I think we did pretty well together!

Thank you all who gave their change, those 1p’s soon add up, as of course does the tithe we make from our sales – actually truth to be told that’s apportioned from the bookshopsboss wage as we still aren’t quite there enough to say its from the profits – its a commitment I made and so its one I keep!. We really do believe it is right to give to others when we can, as in giving we receive, even when we don’t know it or see it. After all sharing is caring!

So anyway this year we are continuing with the Children’s Hospital theme but this time its Alder Hay hospital that will be the recipient of our donations and tithes:

(though of course come October there will of course be our Christmas Charity to give to as well – last years Christmas Charity was Habitat for Humanity and we gave £50.00, lets hope we can give more this year when we decide on the Charity!).

So anyway I want to say thank you all for using us, supporting us and following along with us – if you want to come in and celebrate with us, then please do and remember my favourite celebration tipple is a Caramelatte from Nero’s or a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks!

Thanks guys for the last two years, and I look forward to serving and working with all of you in the next few ahead!

http://www.lincolncentralmarket.co.uk
Unicorn Tree Books, Central Market, Lincoln. LN5 7ET
http://www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk
http://www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk
http://www.jigsawsandmore.co.uk
http://www.cardmakersupplies.co.uk
http://www.alsarts.co.uk
http://www.christianbookshopuk.co.uk
http://www.centralmarketlincoln.co.uk

Happy Birthday or anniversary of something like that!

Today makes it exactly 2 years that I have in fact been the unicorntreebookshopboss!

Yes indeed on this day 2 years ago I did in fact sign over all the worldly goods I did not possess and indeed the hope of having them! in exchange for the messy little bookstall that was at the time browse awhile books! and now two years on it’s not so messy, not so little and indeed not so bad!

I am still impoverished and tortured by minions, but at least its my poverty and my minions and in exchange I have the ability to read whatever book I want ’cause I have thousands of them!

I have a range of speciality genres and markets that match my likes!

The newest of these of course being the Christian Books (completely with its own unit! see not so little!) and I am so glad to have these on board, to be able to spend some of each day discussing a subject I absolutely love is phenomenal and a real dream continuing on.
Today’s discussion was on the Shack and the imagery presented as to God and if it is indeed heretical and if so why?
This addition hasn’t come without pain and heartbreak, but what it has come with is a continuing commitment and fervour to serve and reach out, after all pretty much all my book career had been in this section of the book trade and leaving it was painful (though also thrilling and enjoyable on another level as I was moving into the sphere of all books and not just one section!) but I remained resolute and with God’s grace and a smidgen of faith in face of adversity it came to be that I got it back this year, lets hope that together we can all continue to grow it – oh and did I say that Advent Candles and Advent & Nativity Books and Christmas Play material came in this week?? No? well it did – so if you are a church then get in touch as we are now taking Advent & Christmas orders!

Then of course we have the Craft section – formerly an independent business in its own right this came into our safekeeping a year ago and now lends itself wonderfully to our creative talent discussions and displays – believe it or not I am in fact a whizz at tea-bag folding, usually after they have been dried out from the copious cups of tea needed to cope with minion antics! This is still called Al’s Arts & Crafty Bits, but of course its now housed in Unicorn Tree Books!

Next is the LGBT section which is continuing to build a following and reputation and expanding as time goes on. The yaoi manga has been going phenomenally well.

All in all I am pretty proud of the changes that the shop has undergone and hope that in the years to come these will continue to grow and develop as we go forward together in faith, hope and community commitment!

So as its a new year we have old news to report on and new resolutions to put forward!
So old news – our sponsored charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity was given £373.00 in the end, given our target was originally for £200 I think we did pretty well together!

Thank you all who gave their change, those 1p’s soon add up, as of course does the tithe we make from our sales – actually truth to be told that’s apportioned from the bookshopsboss wage as we still aren’t quite there enough to say its from the profits – its a commitment I made and so its one I keep!. We really do believe it is right to give to others when we can, as in giving we receive, even when we don’t know it or see it. After all sharing is caring!

So anyway this year we are continuing with the Children’s Hospital theme but this time its Alder Hay hospital that will be the recipient of our donations and tithes:

(though of course come October there will of course be our Christmas Charity to give to as well – last years Christmas Charity was Habitat for Humanity and we gave £50.00, lets hope we can give more this year when we decide on the Charity!).

So anyway I want to say thank you all for using us, supporting us and following along with us – if you want to come in and celebrate with us, then please do and remember my favourite celebration tipple is a Caramelatte from Nero’s or a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks!

Thanks guys for the last two years, and I look forward to serving and working with all of you in the next few ahead!

http://www.lincolncentralmarket.co.uk
Unicorn Tree Books, Central Market, Lincoln. LN5 7ET
http://www.browseawhile.co.uk
http://www.alsarts.co.uk
http://www.lincolnmarket.co.uk

Happy Birthday or anniversary of something like that!

Today makes it exactly 2 years that I have in fact been the unicorntreebookshopboss!

Yes indeed on this day 2 years ago I did in fact sign over all the worldly goods I did not possess and indeed the hope of having them! in exchange for the messy little bookstall that was at the time browse awhile books! and now two years on it’s not so messy, not so little and indeed not so bad!

I am still impoverished and tortured by minions, but at least its my poverty and my minions and in exchange I have the ability to read whatever book I want ’cause I have thousands of them!

I have a range of speciality genres and markets that match my likes!

The newest of these of course being the Christian Books (completely with its own unit! see not so little!) and I am so glad to have these on board, to be able to spend some of each day discussing a subject I absolutely love is phenomenal and a real dream continuing on.
Today’s discussion was on the Shack and the imagery presented as to God and if it is indeed heretical and if so why?
This addition hasn’t come without pain and heartbreak, but what it has come with is a continuing commitment and fervour to serve and reach out, after all pretty much all my book career had been in this section of the book trade and leaving it was painful (though also thrilling and enjoyable on another level as I was moving into the sphere of all books and not just one section!) but I remained resolute and with God’s grace and a smidgen of faith in face of adversity it came to be that I got it back this year, lets hope that together we can all continue to grow it – oh and did I say that Advent Candles and Advent & Nativity Books and Christmas Play material came in this week?? No? well it did – so if you are a church then get in touch as we are now taking Advent & Christmas orders!

Then of course we have the Craft section – formerly an independent business in its own right this came into our safekeeping a year ago and now lends itself wonderfully to our creative talent discussions and displays – believe it or not I am in fact a whizz at tea-bag folding, usually after they have been dried out from the copious cups of tea needed to cope with minion antics! This is still called Al’s Arts & Crafty Bits, but of course its now housed in Unicorn Tree Books!

Next is the LGBT section which is continuing to build a following and reputation and expanding as time goes on. The yaoi manga has been going phenomenally well.

All in all I am pretty proud of the changes that the shop has undergone and hope that in the years to come these will continue to grow and develop as we go forward together in faith, hope and community commitment!

So as its a new year we have old news to report on and new resolutions to put forward!
So old news – our sponsored charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity was given £373.00 in the end, given our target was originally for £200 I think we did pretty well together!

Thank you all who gave their change, those 1p’s soon add up, as of course does the tithe we make from our sales – actually truth to be told that’s apportioned from the bookshopsboss wage as we still aren’t quite there enough to say its from the profits – its a commitment I made and so its one I keep!. We really do believe it is right to give to others when we can, as in giving we receive, even when we don’t know it or see it. After all sharing is caring!

So anyway this year we are continuing with the Children’s Hospital theme but this time its Alder Hay hospital that will be the recipient of our donations and tithes:

(though of course come October there will of course be our Christmas Charity to give to as well – last years Christmas Charity was Habitat for Humanity and we gave £50.00, lets hope we can give more this year when we decide on the Charity!).

So anyway I want to say thank you all for using us, supporting us and following along with us – if you want to come in and celebrate with us, then please do and remember my favourite celebration tipple is a Caramelatte from Nero’s or a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks!

Thanks guys for the last two years, and I look forward to serving and working with all of you in the next few ahead!

www.lincolncentralmarket.co.uk
Unicorn Tree Books, Central Market, Lincoln. LN5 7ET
www.browseawhilebooks.co.uk
www.alsarts.co.uk
htp://unicorntreebooks.blogspot.com

My book list for Aug/Sept 2008

I have to keep a list of what books I am waiting for so that I don’t miss any, I will share this list each month because there may be books you didn’t know were coming out or perhaps authors you hadn’t heard of.

P= Paranormal
R = Romance
U =Urban Fantasy

Jayne Castle – Dark Light – 26th August -P
Jennifer Cruise – Agnes and the Hitman – 26th August -R
Jeanne C Stein – Legacy – 26th August -U
Diana Palmer – Heart of Stone -September -R
Sara Reinke – Dark Hunger – 2 September -P
Christine Feehan – Dark Curse – 2nd September -P
Diana Holquist – Hungry for More – 26th September -R
Christine Warren – One Bite With A Stranger – 30th September -P

What books are you waiting for?

Share your Aug/Sept lists here, because you might have authors others haven’t read yet!

Tazallie

P.S. Dates may change as publication is not set in stone!

Patricia Briggs – Iron Kissed

Book 3 – Mercy Thompson Series
978-0441015665

Although this book has been out since the begining of the year I really wanted to review it here as it is one of my all time favourite books, and my all time favourite series.

I am not someone who can read a book twice, at least not very often, but this book has been the exception to that rule; and I even plan to read it and its sister books again when the fourth book in the series comes out next year (Bone Crossed Feb 2009)

So what is it about this book that I like? Where to start? Ok first off let me say that although there is a love triangle in this story this isn’t a paranormal romance, I would say it falls more into the ‘Urban Fantasy’ realm of paranormal books.

The series is about a female mechanic called Mercy Thompson who is a Native American Coyote Walker…bit like a shapeshifter only different. She was raised by a werewolf pack in Montana when her mother discovered what she was as an infant, and felt unable to cope with her unusual daughter. Although she was raised by a caring foster family and accepted to a degree you always get the feeling she was on the outside looking in. But thats ok with Mercy, cos she knows who she is, even though she hasn’t got a clue what a Walker really is.

Throughout the series Mercy interacts with many of the ‘others’ who inhabit this world, the fae, the vampires, the ghosts and of course the werewolves. In fact Adam, the Alpha of the local Tri Cities pack, has declared her his mate, but that doesn’t mean Mercy is going along with it, or that Samuel another alpha werewolf from her childhood isn’t going to try to win her back. But this book is so much more than that, its about human interaction even if those humans are other.

This book caused quite a bit of unrest when it came out due to an event that happens near the end.(not going to spoil it for anyone not read it) But I thought it was handled so well, awful things happen to people all the time, and the way Patricia Briggs handled the event itself, but also the aftermath, was in my opinion outstanding. She showed the devestation that Mercy felt and the confusion and pain of those who love her, but she did this by at one point focusing on, and giving a back story to, one of the other characters, allowing Mercy to curl up as a coyote and heal. Every time I read this part of the book I am moved to tears but more than that I am amazed by the skill it took to write it.

If you want to read this book though, I would really recommend reading the other two first, as it will give you a much better understanding of where all the characters are coming from, this isn’t a stand alone, it is a true series, each book building on the last one.

If I had to be stranded on a desert island with only one book (Scary idea!!) it would have to be this one. (but I might just try to stick all three books together and say it was an omnibus edition!)

Tazallie

1)Moon Called
2)Blood Bound
3)Iron Kissed
4)Bone Crossed (Feb 2009)

Jayne Castle, Dust Bunnies and the Ghost Hunter Series

I love Jayne Castle (Aka Jayne Ann Krentz) but more importantly for me I love her dust bunnies!

Jayne Castle has been writing paranormal romances since before their was a genre called paranormal romance and her Ghost Hunter series is a fantastic example of this type of book.

Set in a futuristic world called Harmony that once had ties with Earth but has since been isolated when the curtain closed a long time ago. Shutting them off from Earth, her technology and her people. It is a series about a world that is filled with psychics and ghost hunters (although the ghosts are almost pure energy and are perhaps the original inhabitants of the world)
This is a world that is both technologically advanced whilst also seemingly part mediveal, where marriage is rarely for love but more usually for convenience or procreation.

The stories are filled with alpha males and strong women who have no intention of missing the action. Each story stands alone but when read as a series allows the world of Harmony to grow and flourish in your imagination.

But perhaps for me the best of these stories are the dust bunnies!!! Cute little balls of grey fur that are loving and loyal and will take your hand of with their needle sharp teeth if you upset them and send them into hunter mode! And I want one! I love the way that Jayne Castle has created in some of the stories a secondary romance with these cute little predators, and with each book in the series I have to first check there is in fact a dust bunny in the story (I’d still read it if there wasn’t but I wouldnt enjoy it half as much!)

So if you like a good romance, filled with alpha males and women who can tame them…and if you like cute bunnies that can kill you before you even realise they are mad go read this series!!

1)Bridal Jitters
2)After Dark
3)After Glow
4)Ghost Hunter
5)Silver Master
6)Dark light (26th August 2008)

(Checkout the Utube videos below for a trailer)

Tazallie

Christina Dodd – Into the shadow

ISBN 9780451224514
Out July 2008

This is the third book in Christina Dodds, Darkness Chosen Series, which falls very much into the paranormal romance genre, in fact it reminded me of a modern bodice ripper – you know the ones? where the pirate kidnaps the lady? Well this was one of those set today…and I have to say at first I was very, very skeptical…but it worked very well.

This is an easy read, but it still manages to raise some very interesting questions on good and evil and how the line can often be blurred.
Take the hero; he was raised in a loving family that has a curse hanging over it. They are shape shifters, but their power is a direct result of a pact with the devil made a thousand years ago…to change strengthens the evil that resides in them. And Adrik embraces his power after a choice as a young man makes him feel he has cursed his soul already. Adrik becomes a mercenary without remorse in the Himalyan mountains and eventually kidnaps the heroine Karen.

Yes the hero is a mercenary, yes he has killed and has dammned his soul to hell but is he evil? or a victim of a pact that was nothing to do with him?

I liked the first book in this series, wasnt so keen on the second but really enjoyed this one. Overall this was a well written action packed romance, one that it well worth a read.

Tazallie

Dont Miss
Into the Flame – book 4 in the series (Aug 2008)

Hi From Tazallie

Well I thought it might me nice if you got to know me a little, so here is the the nutshell version of me!

I am the mother of Pinky (who is trying to take over the world with brain, who also happens to be the boss of unicorn tree books and her aunty—work it out yep thats right brain is my sister!)

So that lets you know that we are a family goup…and we provide the family fights as extra entertainment in store!

I love books, lots of books, anything from paranormal/urban fantasy, to romance, or thriller or historical or chick lit or… (list could go on) but please dont ask me about women’s sagas cos I dont like them and dont want to read them (foot stamping here).

So what qualifications do I have for writing reviews?? absolutely none! Except that I love books, reading books, talking books and even possibly writing them…and at the end of the day what better qualification is there?

Thats all I can think of for now but if there is anything you want to know – ask!(although I wont promise to answer everything LOL)

Tazallie