REVIEW: THE DEMETER CODE - RUSSELL BROOKS

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of these books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

The Demeter Code gives you a front row seat into the world of CIA agents, Ridley Fox and Nita Parris. A company's secrets are stolen and sold. Thirteen U.S. soldiers are dead and the woman responsible claims she is innocent. People around the world are dying from an "allergic reaction". The company's secrets, the thirteen dead U.S. soldiers, and one of the worst terrorists known to U.S. authorities are all connected. But how? Follow Ridley and Nita on a wild, action packed journey to discover the truth. 

I could not put this book down! I love a good thriller and this has definitely made my favorite's list. The action starts from the very beginning and it doesn't let up until the end. I loved how fact-paced this book was! My heart was racing through this whole book and every time I thought I had figured out all of the connections, I was thrown another curve ball. 

The dynamic between Ridley, Nita, and their IT genius, Dewan, was so well-written that you felt like you were eavesdropping on an actual conversation instead of reading a book. While Ridley and Nita were the main characters of this story, I would have to say that Dewan was my favorite character hands down. His quick-wit and technical know how definitely make him the unsung hero in their group. Without him and his technical prowess, they wouldn't have gotten as far as they did in their quest for the truth. Katy Sparks, the woman accused of killing the thirteen U.S. soldiers, was also one of my favorites too but I could be a little bit biased since she's from Alabama as well. Her southern charm and gentility adds a softer element to the story. Especially when she and Ridley end up stuck together in a hotel room. 

Russell Brooks really did his research and was able to really bring this story to life through science and technology. I felt like I was reading a story that could have been ripped from today's headlines. If you're into spies, fast-paced action, plot twist and turns, and computer hacking, then I definitely recommend this book! 

5 Things I Liked About NaNoWriMo

5 Things I Liked About NaNoWriMo

• Forums - I'm kind of shy, both online and off, so I've never been one to just dive into forums but NaNo's forums are the exception to this rule. You can connect to some really awesome people. gather a wealth of information on all kinds of topics, or play some really silly games while you're procrastinating. You can also find other writers who sympathize with the fact that you characters only want to talk to you about other stories and not the one in which they are the main character. (Normal people usually freak out when you complain about your characters not talking to you.) AND you can find writing buddies to keep you motivated! 

• No Editing - Okay................I totally complained about this rule just about every day. BUT, I think it's a great concept. Writing as much as you can without stopping to edit what you are writing is a great way to get everything out of your head and onto the paper. Not going back and editing later also keeps you from chopping up your word count or from completely deleting your work. I also liked following the "No Editing" rule for (most) of NaNo because it really showed me that I'm a natural editor and I can't NOT edit. I just can't. It drives me crazy and it actually distracts me from my writing because all I can think about it is the fact that I've repeated myself in two different paragraphs and I typed the wrong character name three paragraphs ago. I can't let.it.go. 

• Scrivener - Okay, this isn't technically a NaNo thing but had I not decided to do NaNo and stalked the forums, I probably wouldn't even know about Scrivener and I would be missing out. And if you don't know what Scrivener is, it's possibly the best writing software I have come across yet. You can find it here. 

• An excuse NOT to cook for Thanksgiving - This may not seem like much to most people. Especially those Pinterest Super Moms out in the world but it was like an early birthday present to myself. As soon as I told my wonderful hubs that I wanted to do NaNo this year, he nixed Thanksgiving at our house! (But if I'm being completely honest that's also probably because he married a mediocre cook who tends to get drunk during Thanksgiving dinner). 

• WINNING! - Seriously. And not even just because they made that cool little graphic that I immediately slapped on my blog. Winning NaNo was the best part of NaNo because I finally proved to myself two things: I am a writer. I CAN write a 50,000 word novel. (With the exception of what I actually wrote for NaNo) I am the world's worst procrastinator and I have a stack of manuscripts that are half-written so the fact that I even finished NaNoWriMo with a 50,000 word novel was a feat in itself. And I can't lie. I'm very proud of myself. 

What things did you like about NaNo this year? Better yet, what things did you NOT like about NaNo this year? 

REVIEW: EARTH SHIP SIREN SERIES #4, #5, #6

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of these books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

Mine to Hold: ES Siren by Shona Husk

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was my first literary threesome. And I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the fact that this story had an actual enjoyable plot behind it and wasn't just filler until you got to the "good stuff". It was also a welcome break from the trend of vampires/werewolves/witches and the billionaires/secretaries/maids trends that seems to have taken hold of everyone recently. I'm not much of a Sci-Fi person, so I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to get into the story line and being in space but I really enjoyed it. Will definitely recommend this book!

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Mine to Keep: ES Siren by Denise Rossetti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I did not want this book to end! This was such a well-written story and I it left me hot for both Sandy and Peter -uh, Paul? Sandy's straight-forward, no bullshit attitude and her ability to stay calm under pressure combined with Paul's ability to talk his way out of situations made them the perfect team. Their steamy encounters left me with my mouth watering. The action scenes had my heart pounding and had me cheering for Sandy and Paul. This dream team is the perfect package for this story. Loved it!

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Mine to Serve: ES Siren 6 by Mel Teshco

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am quickly falling in love with all the books in this series! Lucinda and Jarred's passion for each other is palpable and exciting. His desire to let everyone know that Lucinda is his, regardless of her status or his, makes him even sexier. Jarred's past makes Lucinda wonder if his feelings are true but Jarred does everything he can to prove that she's the one for him. And his way of proving it is sure to get you hot and bothered! Great read!

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Review: SEALs of Winter Box Set

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

The SEALS of Winter is a collection of nine stories written by Cora Seton, Elle Kennedy, Jennifer Lowery, Elle James, Anne Marsh, S. M. Butler, Delilah Devlin, Kimberley Troutte, and Zoe York! All nine storys follow a SEAL on his journey to finding the love of his life, even if he wasn't really looking for love. Pour yourself a glass of wine, get cozy by a fire, and dive into this fabulous box set! 

I loved all 9 of these stories but I'm going to review my three favorites: 

The Navy SEAL's Christmas Bride - Cora Seton

This story had me laughing out loud at the antics between Dan Hemmins and Sarah Metlin. Sarah is bound and determined to prove that she's more than qualified to join special forces in the military and Dan is dead set on proving her wrong. What started out as a competition between soldiers quickly turns into a battle of the sexes that leaves them both hot and bothered. When Dan finally concedes that Sarah's an excellent soldier and an incredibly sexy woman, he stops at nothing to make her his forever. Between the competitions and the steamy sex scenes I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end. Sarah's determination is endearing and admirable. Dan's confidence and competitive edge made him oh so sexy! 

A SEAL for Christmas - Jennifer Lowery 

If I knew that I could meet someone like Donovan by getting hit by a car while riding my bicycle, I'd be on my way to buy a new bicycle! When Cloe gets hit by a crazy guy running a red light, Donovan quickly steps in to protect her from the guys insults. He even promises the EMTs to look after her since she refused to go to the hospital. One night of protection turns into a few days once the same crazy guy starts calling Cloe and threatening her, Donovan is determined not to let her out of his sight. Cloe, still apprehensive to letting people in after losing her family and her fiance last Christmas, is starting to slowly let Donovan into her heart. Donovan's multilingual seduction had me dreaming of Irish/Italian men! And his family was icing on the cake! They were like real people you want to go home and spend the holidays with!

SEALed Until Christmas - S.M. Butler

Jesse Richter and Charlie Morgan couldn't be more perfect for each other. Jesse, who is steal dealing with the death of his first love, believes that he can save everyone he comes across. Charlie, who has her own cross to bare, believes she doesn't need help from anyone. Little do they know that they are going to save each other from a lifetime of heartbreak and loneliness. Charlie's secrets may tear them apart but Jesse may just be strong enough to keep them together if he learns to let go of his guilt from the past. These two characters were so well-written that you could feel their emotions right along with them. You could fell the love between the two of them radiating off of the page. This was definitely one of my favorite stories in the collection! 

Please be sure to look up all of the wonderful authors who contributed to this collection. I've been cyber-stalking their websites since I finished these so that I can read their other works. And be sure to let them know how much you loved these stories after you read them! 

How To Edit Your NaNo Novel

NaNoWriMo is quickly coming to an end which means it will be time to edit your novels soon. (If you haven't begun already.) Since I finished my novel early I decided to start editing early. I thought I would share the best tips that I have learned so far for editing a NaNo novel if you are as disappointed with yours as I am mine. 

Step 1: Set it on fire

Step 2: Walk away like a boss

Step 3: Make sure that you notify Sweet Brown that there's a fire nearby

There you have it! That's all you need to know on how to properly edit your crappy manuscript! 

Review: But I Said Forever - Jennifer Gilby Roberts

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

After a whirlwind courtship, Brittany Beresford married her Prince Charming and looked forward to living happily ever after. Five years later, she’s been reduced to a not-quite-desperate housewife, with a husband who spends more time flossing his teeth than holding meaningful conversations with her.

She braves his disapproval and turns working mother and, other than feeling far more drawn to a handsome baker she works with than him, things seem to be looking up. But then she discovers that his “hobbies” include something even worse than golf - and he expects her to put up and shut up.

Fairy tale illusions shattered, but still believing marriage is for life and wanting the best for her son, Brittany has a choice to make: should she follow her heart, or her conscience?

Review: The Divorce Papers - Susan Rieger

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own.**

Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Diehl is happy toiling away as a criminal law associate at an old-line New England firm, where she very much appreciates that most of her clients are trapped behind bars. Everyone at Traynor, Hand knows she abhors face-to-face contact, but one week, with all the big partners out of town, Sophie is stuck handling the intake interview for the daughter of the firm’s most important client.
 
After eighteen years of marriage, Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim has just been served divorce papers in a humiliating scene at the popular local restaurant, Golightly’s. Mia is now locked and loaded to fight her eminent and ambitious husband, Dr. Daniel Durkheim, Chief of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Mather Medical School, for custody of their ten-year-old daughter Jane. Mia also burns to take him down a peg. Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia can’t be put off. The way she sees it, it’s her first divorce, too. For Sophie, the whole affair will spark a hard look at her own relationships—with her parents, colleagues, friends, lovers, and, most important, herself.
 
A rich, layered novel told entirely through personal correspondence, office memos, e-mails, articles, handwritten notes, and legal documents, The Divorce Papers offers a direct window into the lives of an entertaining cast of characters never shy about speaking their minds. Original and captivating, Susan Rieger’s brilliantly conceived and expertly crafted debut races along with wit, heartache, and exceptional comedic timing, as it explores the complicated family dynamic that results when marriage fails—as well as the ever-present risks and coveted rewards of that thing called love.

The description of this book is more exciting than the actual book. I understand the concept of writing a book through correspondence. I've read a few books that execute it quite nicely. This was not one of them. I barely made it to page 25 and I had to push myself to get there. It's very boring. I have no other way to describe it other than boring. I honestly felt like I was reading legal papers which was part of the concept but I got the same boredom as if I really were reading legal papers. I was not impressed. And now I'm serving The Divorce Papers my own separation papers. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. 

Feature & Follow Blog Hop

I joined a blog hop in order to connect with more bloggers. Since this blog is so new, I feel like the new kid at school that sits in the corner and just kind of stares at everyone hoping that I'll overhear someone talk about something I have interest in too. I figured that a blog hop was the best way to stop sitting in the blog corner. 

And this blog hop seems really cool because they post questions for everyone to answer each week. This week's question is to create an ad for the qualities and qualifications of your perfect co-blogger. This blog is so new that I don't think I have a need for a co-blogger but it is an interesting concept to think about it. 

Question of the Week

Create an ad listing all the qualities and qualifications of your perfect co-blogger. - Suggested by Girl of 1000 Wonders. 

Wanted: Co-Blogger

• Must be able to handle someone who is sarcastic, stubborn, and indecisive
• Must enjoy talking about movies and tv
• Must have excellent grammar skills 
• Has to be someone I have known for a while and trust (either in person or online)
• Must be able to hold me accountable for all those blog posts I said I would write
• Must never condemn me for my addiction to Dr. Pepper and Birthday Cake M&Ms
• Must love books (this should be a given, though)

RULES
1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read.
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

2. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

3. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.

4. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI". If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers. If you're new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!