I found a new (to me) author that I LURVE!!!

The cover art for On Fire's Wings by Christie Golden is what initially attracted my attention. After picking it up and reading the back I immediately had to check out the first few pages to see if it would live up to what looked to be a great book. I was drawn into the story right away *s* 20 pages later (yes I read 20 pages while standing in the bookstore) I HAD to bring it home. It was wonderous. I started reading it about 5:30 pm the day I bought it and finished it at about 10:45. Now I read fast but to sit and go through a book of 439 pages like that, without needing a break, is really unusual. There were no parts where I just skimmed through (which is something I've found myself doing a lot lately unfortunately).

It's a fantasy novel. The world building Ms. Golden has done is phenomenal. The characters are fantastic. The story is simply one of the best I've read.

From the back cover ... "She was born without caste or position in Arukan, a country that prozed both. Then a chance encounter led her to a better life. But it also brought her to danger and destiny. Because Kevla Bai-sha's fevered dreams - looming threats to their land and visions of dragons that had once watched over her people - held the promise of truth. Now Arukan - shadowed by mountains and myths - might be overcome by eternal darkness. Kevla, together with Jashemi-kha-Tahmu, rebel prince of the ruling household would defy alllaw, all tradition, to embark on a daring quest for the half-forgotten elementals that will save the world. And so Kevla must sacrifice everything ... only to be reborn in dragon's flames"
*sigh*

The following weekend I went out and bought the next book in the series In Stones Clasp and read that right away too. It was also fabulous and I eagerly await the third book. *sigh*

A Viral Blogging Experiment

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

• $200 Amazon gift certificate


• Signed copy of Slave to Sensation


• New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh


• ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION

Nalini Singh

Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

August TBR Challenge

August's challenge was to read a non romance genre book. This wasn't really a difficult thing for me to do because I will read (or at least try to read) pretty much any genre.
The Pact: a love story by Jodi Picoult Now the title says it's a love story ... and it is. It's an incredibly heart wrenching love story. It isn't, however, a romance. There is no happily ever after.

From the back cover "For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty - they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends - so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.

So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet - a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described. As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, "The Pact" paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish... culminating in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder."

Even a couple of weeks after I finished this story it's difficult for me to find words that express how much this novel touched my heart.

Something I found incredibly interesting about this book was The Pact ended up being a banned book! You can listen to Ms. Picoult talk about this in a podcast here if you click on the Big Brother link.

This book is definitely a keeper. I'll also be looking for more novels by Jodi Piccoult. She is an amazing writer.

I'm trying to change my attitude ...

about going back to work (yikes! Only 1 more week!) So I decided to do something positive that's related to school.

I went out and bought a bunch of school supplies to give to the school for students who are in families that are struggling to make ends meet.

Cross your fingers for me that this works *s* I want to have a better, more positive year that I've had the last couple of years : )

Happy Birthday to my oldest niece : )

The first picture is her now (her and the middle niece *s*) and the second one is her 1 year old picture.

Happy Birthday Sweety!