Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) Review

The Dursleys were so mean that hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself?

Heretics

Heretics Review

This collection of essays is not as religious as the title would suggest. Here, Chesterton’s typically witty musings touch upon a variety of subjects, including criticisms of literary contemporaries Rudyard Kipling and H.G. Wells. A prelude to Chesterton’s famous Orthodoxy, this collection is a fine introduction to the author’s reservations about the ideologies of the Victorian age and their most popular adherents.

Witch Hunt (Witch-Game Series)

Witch Hunt (Witch-Game Series) Review

A magical game of Hide n Seek begins.
Find the missing player and win.
The game resets, everyone forgets, and they start to play again.

Starr Hughes hasn’t believed in magic since her mother died. As a reporter for the school paper she’s only interested in cold, hard facts. When she hears rumors that the mysterious It-Squad members are about to play a secret game, she is determined to learn all about it, especially since she’s been in love with one of the members half her life. Hiding under the headmaster’s desk, planting bugs, and breaking into a fellow student’s locker are all on her to-do list.

Starr is about to discover that witches not only exist, but they need her help. Someone is using the game to steal their memories, their powers, and maybe even their lives.

ATTENTION: Although this is the second book in the series, each book has its own set of characters and can be read as a stand-alone book.

Dolled Up for Murder (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries)

Dolled Up for Murder (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) Review

Crime-solving antiques dealer Josie Prescott is back—tracking down a doll collection to die for.

 

On a sparkling spring day in the cozy coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire, with the lilacs in full bloom and the wisteria hanging low, antiques dealer Josie Prescott is showing a stellar doll collection she's just acquired to Alice Michaels, the queen of the local investment community. Moments later, Josie watches in horror as Alice is shot and killed. Within hours, one of Josie’s employees, Eric, is kidnapped. The kidnapper’s ransom demand is simple—he wants the doll collection. Working against the clock with the local police chief, Josie discovers that the dolls hold secrets that will save Eric and uncover the truth behind Alice’s murder.

 

Bullet (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter)

Bullet (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) Review

The Mother of All Darkness-the first vampire-wants to enter into a new human body...and the one she has in mind belongs to Anita Blake.

The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy)

The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy) Review

The incredible conclusion to the Inheritance Trilogy, from one of fantasy's most acclaimed stars.


For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri's ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family's interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.

As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom -- which even gods fear -- is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens?


Includes a never before seen story set in the world of the Inheritance Trilogy.

Maid to Be Mine: A Regency Cinderella Story

Maid to Be Mine: A Regency Cinderella Story Review

After the death of her father, Cynthia Lockhart has little time to mourn. Her wicked stepmother has sent her below stairs, where she is forced to work and live with the servants. How is a lord’s daughter supposed to bear such an insulting fall from grace?

Her only hope is Lord Charmington, a wickedly handsome earl who is desperately seeking a wife. After an encounter with the earl, Cynthia believes he is her salvation. With any luck, her detestable stepsister won’t get to him first!

Approximately 60,000 words, Maid to be Mine is a Regency era version of the Cinderella story… with a twist.

Piper in the Woods

Piper in the Woods Review

Earth maintained an important garrison on Asteroid Y-3. Now suddenly it was imperiled with a biological impossibility -- men becoming plants!

"Well, Corporal Westerburg," Doctor Henry Harris said gently, "just why do you think you're a plant?"

As he spoke, Harris glanced down again at the card on his desk. It was from the Base Commander himself, made out in Cox's heavy scrawl: Doc, this is the lad I told you about. Talk to him and try to find out how he got this delusion. He's from the new Garrison, the new check-station on Asteroid Y-3, and we don't want anything to go wrong there. Especially a silly damn thing like this!

Bad Faith

Bad Faith Review

In the latest exciting novel in Robert K. Tanenbaum’s bestselling series Butch Karp takes an ailing boy’s religious parents to court for refusing to get their son medical help.

In Bad Faith, two gripping story lines that could have been torn out of today’s headlines meet at the intersection of religion and medical ethics. In the first, Butch battles to convict the parents of a deceased boy for failing to seek medical attention for their son, who believed, wrongly, that prayer was the answer for healing his rare but treatable brain disease. At the same time, Marlene investigates the charismatic demagogue Reverend McCord, who has an undeniable grasp on the parents. Meanwhile, a beautiful but deadly Russian incarcerated assassin, Nadya Malovo, works with Karp from behind bars to prevent a violent attack on New York City. But she harbors a secret vendetta against Karp for interfering in her past crimes, and can’t be trusted…This action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave fans turning pages into the night.

     The former Homicide Bureau Chief in the New York District Attorney’s office, Robert Tanenbaum is also the former two-term mayor of Beverly Hills and one of the country’s most successful and famous trial lawyers: He has never lost a felony case. His novels are chock-full of real facts, gleaned from so many of his life experiences—each is a breathtaking treat.

Escape

Escape Review

Emergency Room doctor, Lucy Grey, thinks she has it all figured out. She has a great job, a flat in London, and a boyfriend who loves her. But one night at the hospital changes everything.

On impulse, she runs away to Koh Tao, a small island off the coast of Thailand, hoping to figure out what to do with her life.

What she hasn't bargained on is meeting dive instructor, Rudy. With big brown eyes, a lop-sided grin and a seriously sexy body, he instantly takes her breath away. He helps her escape into a new, underwater world, but, as they grow closer, Lucy is riddled with guilt.

Should she tell him about the boyfriend back home and her early mid-life crisis, or pretend to be someone she's not? When a storm hits the island, Lucy has to make a decision.

But Rudy has secrets of his own and secrets drive people apart...


Escape is approximately 50K in length.


Excerpt:

I should tell him about Max, she thought. It was wrong that he'd gone to all this effort and not know that she, albeit technically, still had a boyfriend back home. Because after all, Max was more than just a boyfriend. He wasn't someone she only saw on weekends; they lived and worked together and before this week, spent all their free time together. By her sitting here with Rudy, she was being unfair to both him and Max.

When had she turned into such a bitch?

Tears threatened, but she didn't know if they were because she felt bad about Max or because she hated the thought that after a few more days she would never see Rudy again.

"What's the matter?" Rudy asked, noticing she had fallen quiet.

I've got a boyfriend.

She looked into his face, willing herself to say the words. But they refused to come. Whatever her brain shouted, her mouth wouldn't comply. She simply couldn't imagine giving Rudy a reason to not want to spend time with her.

But Rudy didn't allow her the time to talk herself into telling him the truth. Instead, he leaned in toward her. He paused for a moment, searching her eyes. 

Lucy's body seemed to have a mind of its own and she found herself leaning toward him, just a fraction of an inch, but enough to tell Rudy he was what she wanted, and he moved closer and kissed her.

His mouth pressed, soft and tentative, against hers. She tasted salt on his lips and the faint hint of wine. His hand slipped around the back of her head, twining his fingers in the base of her hair, pulling her toward him. She melted into the kiss, loosened by the wine, and all thoughts of Max left her head.

Rudy lowered her down into the sand. His hand moved from her hair and slid down her waist, coming to rest on her hip. His naked chest pressed against her breasts and her nipples hardened in response. His kiss grew deeper, his tongue gently teasing open her lips, finding her own, moist and warm.

Lucy moaned and sank deeper in the sand, and he crushed himself against her. His hand crept back up her body and he lifted himself slightly, his fingertips lightly trailing across her body, finding the swell of her breast and the sensitive nub of her nipple. He tweaked it lightly and heat spread down between her thighs.

The sensations suddenly filled her with panic. Realizing where she was and what she was doing, she sat up quickly and pushed him away, her palms pressing against his broad chest.

"No, I can't," she said, her cheeks burning. "I'm sorry."

PLEASE NOTE: ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK CONTAINS EROTIC ELEMENTS IT IS NOT EROTICA.

Flirt (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 18)

Flirt (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 18) Review

The New York Times bestselling series.

When Anita Blake meets with prospective client Tony Bennington, who is desperate to have her reanimate his recently deceased wife, she is full of sympathy for his loss. Anita knows something about love, and she knows everything there is to know about loss. But what she also knows, though Tony Bennington seems unwilling to be convinced, is that the thing she can do as a necromancer isn't the miracle he thinks he needs. The creature that Anita could coerce to step out of the late Mrs. Bennington's grave would not be the lovely Mrs. Bennington. Not really. And not for long.

Deadly Appraisal (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries)

Deadly Appraisal (Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries) Review

Josie Prescott is settling into her new life in New Hampshire. Her antiques business is thriving, she’s beginning to make some close friends, and her relationship with the local police chief is becoming more interesting. Not bad for someone who has completely uprooted her life as a New York City auction house expert in order to get a fresh start in a small New England town.
            With so much suddenly to lose, Josie can’t help but worry when murder invades her seemingly quiet community. Josie is sponsoring the Portsmouth Women’s Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and is looking forward to receiving a kindly worded thank-you for her efforts. Instead, the Guild representative, Maisy Gaylor, dies a horrible death in the midst of the banquet. Who could have wanted to kill earnest, drab little Maisy? “Funny, isn’t it,” muses the hostile Detective Rowcliff, “how a lot of people end up dead when no one has any enemies.”
            Everyone who had access to the wine Maisy drank, including Josie herself, soon comes under suspicion. Can Josie manage to ferret out the truth, keep her business running smoothly, and continue to put down roots in her new town, or will everything prove too much for her to handle on her own?

Doctor is in, in, IN

Doctor is in, in, IN Review

Nicole is embarrassed about the reason for visiting her doctor, but she is not nearly as embarrassed about having a problem in her most intimate of places as she is about fantasizing of being with her family doctor. When Nicole is alone with her doctor, his somewhat unorthodox suggestions for treatment leave her speechless.

Excerpt:
Nicole quickly undressed, but was too embarrassed to remove her panties. She had been a virgin on her wedding night three years ago, and she was still uncomfortable having anyone but her husband see her “down there.”

As she sat on the paper covered table, her anxiety began to build. Dr. Chang would see all of her. She pictured it in her mind. Her feet would be placed in the cold metal stirrups, her legs spread wide, and then he would see everything. She wanted to run out of there, but she had come this far. She would look like a fool if she bolted for the door now.

The door opened and Dr. Chang walked in. He was alone. Where was the nurse? A sudden jolt of fear went through Nicole at the thought of being naked and with the doctor alone.

Noticing the concern on Nicole’s face, Dr. Chang spoke up. “My nurse had to help triage a trauma patient. You don’t mind that it’s just you and me, do you?” His eyes were so kind and sweet. Besides, what was going to happen? He was a married man, and she was a married woman.

“Now, lie back and try to relax.” Nicole lay back on the hard table and closed her eyes. Dr. Chang placed Nicole’s feet into the stirrups and eased her knees apart.

FARRIER (Keepers of Kwellevonne Vol. 2)

FARRIER (Keepers of Kwellevonne Vol. 2) Review

"Who better to entrust a vile weapon to than someone who abhors the very thought of violence?"

Deenah's quiet life as an apprentice healer in the small village of Brae's Creek has come to an end. She can never go back. After fleeing through the wilds for days, she finds herself on the outskirts of Tablat, a frontier town full of thieves, murderers, and halfbreeds. Exhausted and hungry, she has no choice but to enter.

But she is not alone. And that thought terrifies her more than anything.


FARRIER: Keepers of Kwellevonne Volume 2
A Short Story Series by J. K. Swift

Includes a "Sneak Peak" of Volume 3 in the Keepers of Kwellevonne series:
FARRIER: 9,000 words (approx. 27-36 pages)
WARDER "Sneak Peek": 1,200 words

C.A.K.E. (A G.S.O. Story)

C.A.K.E. (A G.S.O. Story) Review

Stephen Silver is a marketing and advertising giant in the Greensboro area. Cree Caruthers knows she shouldn't want any part of the man--her boss--but she does. As an executive manager for his company, Cree is aware of the handsome arrogance, the suave demeanor and the cool resolve that made him a force in the media world. Cree loves him and after six years of working alongside him, he finally comes to her with an assignment she has always dreamed of: marriage.

Stephen has watched Cree since he hired her for his company, C.A.K.E. As her boss, he directs her career as they work together to achieve success, but it’s her heart he really wants.
Faced with the approaching death of his father, Stephen needs support and love in his life more than ever—and he knows the perfect woman to fit the bill: Cree.

If he could just get Cree to agree, then he would be very happy indeed.
It should be a piece of cake.

Saddled With Trouble (First Book in The Michaela Bancroft Suspense Series)

Saddled With Trouble (First Book in The Michaela Bancroft Suspense Series) Review

Equal parts suspense and understated contemporary romance, "Saddled with Trouble" is a fast-paced murder mystery that revolves around Michaela Bancroft, a 32-year-old horse trainer whose personal life is quickly coming apart at the seams.

Struggling through an ugly divorce and in danger of losing her southern California ranch to creditors, Bancroft finds her already chaotic life turned upside down when her beloved uncle Lou is found murdered in a stable stall, impaled by a pitchfork. The distraught Bancroft vows to find the person or people behind the senseless homicide, but the deeper she digs into her uncle's secretive past (an ill-managed business venture involving an artificial insemination breeding program, rumors of infidelity, mysterious payoffs, etc.), the more potential suspects come to the forefront. Even Bancroft's closest friends --- trusted veterinarian Ethan Slater and her fun-loving roommate, Camden -- become prime suspects. Ignoring the advice of hunky detective Jude Davis, Bancroft continues snooping around and soon finds herself the killer's next target….

Praise for the Michaela Bancroft series:

“Filled with good murder suspects along with enough twists and turns allowing the reader to guess and guess again throughout the novel.”—MyShelf.com

“So well written…There are so many wonderful red herrings that it will keep you guessing until the end. Terrific plot and characters really add to the reading experience. I highly recommend this book.”—The Best Reviews

“A pleasant and fast read. The characters are likeable and the setting is interesting. I’m looking forward to her next Michaela Bancroft mystery…recommended.”—Armchair Interviews (armchairinterviews.com)


***The Michaela Bancroft Suspense Series was formerly published by The Penguin Publishing Group under the author name Michele Scott and can still be found in print under Michele Scott.

The Skull

The Skull Review

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare’s finesse to Oscar Wilde’s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim’s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.