IN THE MAIL: SKIN GAME

I would like to thank Jackie B of HouseWife Blues And Chihuahua Stories for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win a copy of Skin Game by Ava Gray which arrived the other day!

Skin Game by Ava Gray

Book 1 of the Skin series

About Skin Game:

A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

Source: Info in the About Skin Game was taken from the author's website at http://www.avagray.com/books/skin-game/ on 07/05/2011.

HARRY POTTER: THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS Movie Trailers

What is this? The year of fantasy movies? What does that say about this generation? Anyhow, tell me, who is not looking forward to watching the final installment of Harry Potter??

The Deathly Hollows 2 trailer:
Movie Release Date: 15 July 2011

Deathly Hollows 1 trailer:
Movie Released: November 2010

The main Deathly Hollows trailer:

Review: A TASTE OF MAGIC by Andre Norton & Jean Rabe

A Taste Of Magic by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe
Book 5 of the Five Senses series

Genre: high fantasy, adult book

About A Taste Of Magic:

"The Green Ones favored me this day."

Thus begins A Taste of Magic, the latest magical world creation by Andre Norton.

Wisteria is magically attuned to the world around her. Her senses relish the tastes of magic that the wonders of nature offer. But the peacefulness of her backwoods existence is shattered when her village is attacked by the raiding force of the bellicose Lord Purvis, who leaves only this twenty-something magic wielder and an adolescent lass as the inadvertent survivors.

Wisteria has pledged herself to a mission. Now she and her young ward must brave the wilds beyond their home in pursuit of the ravager who destroyed everyone near and dear to their hearts.

The woman with the Taste of Magic now has a taste for vengeance, and the blood oath she has pledged must be satisfied with the life of Lord Purvis.

Source: Info in the About A Taste Of Magic was taken from the publisher's site at http://us.macmillan.com/book.aspx?name=atasteofmagic on 17/10/10.

Review:
I like the twisty plot which surprised me again and again.

The story telling quality was not very compelling and I had to force myself to trudge across a couple of patches. But once through it, the paced picked up again.

Although this is book 5 in the Five Senses series, this book can be read on its own. I haven't read the other 4 books in the series, yet, I understood it just fine. There is enough info between the pages that a reader don't get lost. However if you've read the previous books, it would probably give you a better understanding of events and characters.

I didn't like the gory scenes. Although the authors sort of glossed over it, it was still too gory for me. Because of that, this book is not for kids!

I would rate this book as:
Character development = 3.5
World building = 5
Plot = 4.5
Story itself = 3.5
Ending = 3.5
Story telling quality = 3

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

CONNAN THE BARBARIAN Movie Trailer

Another movie to look forward to later this year! Yay!!

Movie Release Date: august 2011

MR. MAILMAN: KISS OF SNOW

A huge THANK YOU to Tyra of Tyra's Book Addiction for hosting Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop 20th-25th which made it possible for me to win Kiss Of Snow by Nalini Singh!

Couldn't wait to find it in my mail!! *big smile* This wait is worth another Mr. Mailman feature! A kind of "blog meme" started by Juju over at Tales Of Whimsy.

About Mr. Mailman:

Mr. Mailman is a feature Juju decided to try. Periodically when there is a book in route which she is anxiously hoping to find when she gets home to her mailbox - Juju would feature Mr. Mailman.

Mr. Mailman is a hybrid of Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine and In My Mailbox by the Story Siren. Please feel free to grab the logo and feature your Mr. Mailman request on your site. Please leave a link to your Mr. Mailman request in the comments at Tales Of Whimsy.

Source: Info in the About Mr. Mailman was pinched from Juju's blog, the Tales Of Whimsy, on 04/12/09.

Kiss Of Snow by Nalini Singh
Book 10 of the Psy-Changeling series

About Kiss Of Snow:

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Source: Info in the About Kiss Of Snow was taken from the author's website at http://www.nalinisingh.com/snow.php on 29/04/2011.

WW28: POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Postcards From The Heart by Ella Griffin

Connor buried his face in her neck and kissed the small hollow beneath her collarbone.

Looks like our characters are loved up :)

About Postcards From The Heart:

Life is looking up for Saffy. She has a great job, a gorgeous flat in the most desirable part of Dublin and - after six years - it looks like her boyfriend, Greg, is going to propose. Greg (just voted the 9th most eligible man in Ireland) is on a high too - he's about to swap his part as a heartthrob in an Irish soap for a break in Hollywood. His best mate Brian wakes up every morning with Daryl, the most beautiful woman on the planet but, even after seven years and two kids, she won't get married. He spends his days teaching teenagers and his nights writing the book he hopes will change everything, including Daryl's mind. But their happy endings are playing hard to get. It seems everyone's keeping secrets - one night stands, heartbreak, grief and loss are all in the mix. It's going to take some tough questions and even tougher answers before anyone's being honest - even with themselves. POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART is a book about four friends in their thirties. It's about love, lust, life, death, balloon rides and missing hamsters. But most of all it's about figuring out how to stop saying 'I don't' and how to start saying 'I do'.

Source: Info in the About Postcards From The Heartwas taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9283485 on 27/04/2011.

CM would like to thank Orion Books for the ARC received.

I SO WANT TO READ THIS: HOUNDED

Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Book 1 of The Iron Druid trilogy

Publication Date: 3 May 2011

About Hounded:

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Source: Info in the About Hounded was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9533378-hounded on 27/04/2011.

This book has been described as on par with the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher! Can't wait to get my hands on this book tomorrow!!

Other Books In The Series:

Book 1: Hounded publication date: 3 May 2011
Book 2: Hexed publication date: 5 June 2011
Book 3: Hammered publication date: 5 July 2011