The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by: John Green

Read & Reviewed by: Nemo

This is one of the most moving pieces of fiction i have read in a long time. Who wouldn't be moved by teenagers dying of cancer? Though the scale only goes from 1 to 5 on these reviews, I give this book a 10. The story is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It makes you fall in love, laugh, cry, scream in frustration and many other things all at once. Most importantly it makes you feel. Just make sure you have something to cuddle standing by when you reach the end of the book, whether its a spouse, significant other, your current beau or just a furry pet is up to you, just please don't try to cuddle any unfriendly animals (or people i suppose).

Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Cirque de Minuet

Cirque de Minuet by: Annabel Joseph, Book 1 of the Cirque Masters Series

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

My Review: I gave this book 5 stars and will both recommend it to others and read it again. I chose this book because it was a book about circus, and the girl on the cover appeared to be wrapped in aerial silks(which I do) Upon beginning to read it I quickly discovered it was a BDSM book, the likes of which I hadn't really ventured past the 50 shades series. However after finishing I found that I liked this book more then the other series and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. It touches on some serious topics but is countered with humor and romance and was easy to fall into the world. Kelsey was a very likable character that I could find myself easily being friends with, as well as her gypsy king Theo. The book leaves you with such a clearly described environment it leaves you wondering if that is what its really like behind the scenes of a cirque.

Synopsis: It’s no easy feat transitioning from the disciplined arena of competitive gymnastics to the artistic whirl of the Cirque du Monde. Kelsey Martin finds secret inspiration in Theo Zamora, a dark, taciturn trapezist–until his partner dies in a tragic accident and he decides to leave the circus for good.

 Theo doesn’t understand why Kelsey reaches out to him, only that she compels him with her unique combination of innocence and recklessness. Before long the two are collaborating on an aerial silks act for a new production, the Cirque de Minuit. Theo’s impatience with Kelsey’s naivete is matched only by his passion for her, and the two soon become embroiled in a tempestuous, consuming romance.

 But some still blame Theo for his partner’s accident, and danger wraps up the two performers as inevitably as the scarlet silk of their act. Theo and Kelsey must find a way to connect and trust one another as he leads her deeper and deeper into a dangerous world of control and desire.

The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn

The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn by: Kady Cross (Book 3.5 of The Steampunk Chronicles)

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

My Review: I gave this book 5 stars, have recommended it to others, and will read it again. It was a cute little novella about what Jas was up to during the course of Girl with the Iron Touch. It had enough substance that it could also be read as a stand alone book. It gave insight and made me like Jas a lot more knowing what had him so preoccupied while the others searched for Emily. I enjoyed the new character as well as the character development and back-story building that occurred in this. Was a nice quick read I was able to finish in one car ride of my holiday travels. We hope you all have had wonderful holidays and are hoping to start posting more regularly this year. 

Synopsis:In this companion novella to The Girl with the Iron Touch, American cowboy Jasper Renn finds himself in a situation his lightning-fast skills cannot rescue him from…

After surviving a triumph-turned-tragedy in New York City, Jasper is determined to secure a happier future with his gifted band of friends. So when the group's mechanical genius Emily is abducted, he'll plunge into England's darkest places to rescue her….

But his old flame Wildcat is turning London town upside down to find her missing sister, and Jasper finds the attraction between himself and the fierce beauty as tempting and dangerous as ever. Their trail leads deep into the city's most unusual circus. Soon, Jasper will find his loyalties—and future—tested more than he could ever imagine….

And don't miss Jasper's continuing exploits in The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross, available now from Harlequin TEEN.

Please consider donating this holiday season.

Today instead of a book review, we would like to take a moment to share some things that we have donated to this year and hope that you feel the holiday spirit of generosity and donate to one of our causes or another cause you believe in. We hope you all are staying warm and having a magical holiday season.

Children's Miracle Network- There is nothing more touching then helping a child in need, except maybe another child asking to help. This year my son requested(all on his own) to donate money to this cause. I am so proud of the child I am raising. If you are interested in donating to help sick children follow this link.

Allies For Greyhounds- I volunteer my time and knowledge to help re-home greyhounds when their racing careers have finished. They are beautiful animals and amazing pets. If you would like to know more about these wonderful creatures or to donate to them follow this link.

Representative Justin Amash- He is a defender of liberty, trying to make government small and accountable, explaining every vote he makes on facebook. He is a great man, and because of that he needs donations from real people like us to be able to stay a Representative. To learn more about him or to donate to his campaign follow this link.

A Duchess in the Dark

A Duchess in the Dark by: Kate McKinley

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

This book will be available for purchase starting Dec 3rd, just in time to download for the holidays!

My Review: I gave this book 5 stars and both recommend it and plan on reading it again. This novella is the perfect size for reading while on that plane, train, or car ride to family for the holidays. I read it in about 45 minutes. It starts right off with a steamy exchange, quickly followed by good romantic content and even teaches that people aren't always what they appear to be. It far surpassed my expectations. The whole story is great and sets up a good character base to use in future books for the series. I will continue reading from this author and cannot wait for the next book of the series to come out and see where she goes next.

Synopsis: Miss Daphne Hayward is on the hunt for a safe, honorable husband and she has set her sights on the perfect target. She plans a full-scale seduction that will bring him to his knees, and have him begging for her hand in marriage. But when she mistakenly slips into another man's bed, the passions that quickly ignite threaten to send her well-laid plans up in smoke.

Ashton Fitzgerald, Duke of Claymore has never been for want of a willing woman in his bed and his rakish ways have become legend in boudoirs and dark corners all across London. But not even Ashton can account for the powerful desire that surges through him when a mysterious woman pays him a clandestine midnight visit. As dawn breaks, his goddess flees before he can learn her identity. Now Ashton will stop at nothing to unmask the identity of the woman who bewitched him body and soul and make her his . . . forever.

And the Winner is....

We would like to thank all of you that entered, we put all the names in a bowl and the winner is Chris Damm. Congratulations! Your information has been forwarded to the publisher so that they can mail the book out to you. We are so grateful for all of our readers and look forward to doing more giveaways in the near future.

I.T. Confidential Interview Part 2

Hello readers! I'm back today with part 2, my personal interview with the mysterious C.D Rahm, I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to fill out the entry form for our giveaway! You have until 11:59PM Eastern time and the winner will be announced tomorrow at noon so don't forget to come back and see if you are our lucky winner. Now on to the rest of the interview.

How long have you been working in the IT field?
-About 15 years 

What made you decide to write this novel?
-It was sort of an accident; I wrote a couple funny paragraphs about work, and after a while it started piling up.

How long did it take to write?
-About two years, working off and on. That was before we started the process of making it into a book more than a year ago. So about a three year process in total. 

Was there any characters that you considered writing about that didn't make the final cut?
-There are plenty more that could be covered, but I wanted to give the reader a sample of some of the more common personalities that you see in every workplace.

Do you plan on writing another book that involves more detailed stories to go with the characters developed in this book?
-We didn't use everything I had originally written for this book, and I have some newer writing, so we'll see what happens. 

Would you consider writing a book like this for people of a different profession(like hospital workers, school workers, etc.) with consultation from people in the profession?
-Wouldn't rule it out, if the potential for humor was there. 

Have you ever actually received a totally off the wall bonus like turkey?
-Yes I have, very disappointing. They should've just given us lunch meat, I could have at least made a sandwich. 

What's it like to be an almost perfectly star rated author on sites such as amazon, barnes and noble and goodreads?
-I'm glad that the book is getting a good response; I'm seeing some positive things said about it. Hopefully more people will get to enjoy it for the holidays. 

Have you experienced all of the situations in the book or was there some collaboration with others for a more in depth coverage?
-These situations and stories are based on experiences I've either heard about, witnessed, or created in my imagination. There's a possibility that they've been made extremely silly.

I.T. Confidential

I.T. Confidential by C.D Rahm

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

My Review: I gave this book 4 stars and would recommend it to those looking for a short bit of workplace humor. This book was a light, quick, full of humor, field guide into the atmosphere of the I.T. workplace. I had expected it to be a collection of funny fail stories but, was satisfied with the different approach anyways. The book was very well written making my mind picture every scenario easily as I read them, as well as having emotional connection to the different character types produced, like angry at the  My husband is an IT guy and it was fun for me to try to figure out where his workplace fell in book.

Synopsis: If you could be a fly on the cubicle wall of an I.T. Professional someone would probably throw a stale bagel at you. But before they did, you would see what C.D. Rahm reveals in this tell-all book.

At great personal risk to career and plastic pocket protector, Rahm takes us on a brief tour of corporate malaise, rampant confusion, dinner-plate-sized chocolate chip cookies, and lousy box lunches.

Pulling no punches (except possibly the spiked punch from the disastrous office holiday party) he reveals everything: managers behaving badly, professional time-wasters, fast-food junkies, and the hygienically challenged.

An I.T. insider, his is a world of technology for all, productivity for none. It is a place where the confused and frightened lead the overworked and clueless. This is where polyester slacks meet PowerPoint presentations, and budgets meet their doom.

When network systems come down, I.T. professionals get up. And march straight to the vending machine. C.D. Rahm has been there, done that, and soiled the t-shirt.

Now you can know what I.T. geeks know: That if you have a chip on your shoulder you have probably stuck your head into the wrong port.

Whether you're a tech expert or you don't know your app from a hole in the ground, you will be astounded or at least mildly surprised by what you discover in I.T. Confidential.

I.T. Confidential Giveaway Entry Form

Please take a moment to fill out our entry form and check out this awesome extra from C.D Rahm while you wait in suspense to hear who the winner is....

A hilarious look into some of the personalities of I.T.

Interview Day!!!!

Hello readers! Today we are proud to post an interview with C.D. Rahm the author of the new book I.T. Confidentials it was a great read and I look forward to posting my review tomorrow for you guys but for now on to the interview! We will also be having a giveaway tomorrow so be sure to enter entry form will be available between Midnight and 11:59 Eastern, we will be announcing the winner Wednesday at noon.
Also, check out the author's sites:
  Official website
  Twitter
  Facebook

What’s the most unusual cubicle you’ve seen?
-The one of a 35-year-old guy who had his workspace set up like a 12-year-old nerd’s bedroom, with 
 Star Wars and Star Trek posters, action figures, spaceships, etc. Ladies, he’s single! 

Any suggestions to make the workplace easier to deal with?
-Don’t give cute names to conference rooms. Just number them: 110, 120, instead of “Sunflower.” 
 Otherwise, you’ll spend hours tracking down where your next meeting is. If you don’t believe me, walk 
 up to anyone in your office and ask them which direction is north. 

What are you bringing to the office potluck this year?
-Cashews. At least I’ll have something to eat besides the ostrich tacos our developer is rumored to be 
 bringing. 

What was the weirdest I.T. request from a “manager?”
 -To take inventory of all the mouse pads. Seriously.

What is one of the more memorable encounters you’ve had as a consultant?
-An employee cornered me in the elevator and asked me if I’d talked to Jesus today. I replied that I’d 
 been talking with Him all morning as we were having software problems. He backed off and remained 
 silent for the remainder of the ride. 

How do you know a meeting is going to run long?
-When someone insists on a roll call, introductions, and individual statuses, even though the team has 
 been meeting for months. 

Grossest co-worker lunch?
-The pail of “homemade soup” brought in by one of the less hygienic staff. Looked like lake water with 
 debris floating in it. Why he insisted on wandering around with it, no one knows; it smelled awful.

Which management fad book is your least favorite (like you’d have a favorite)?
-Leveraging Your Core Paradigms by Dan Acronym. It’s completely incomprehensible, yet some 
 manager in a desolate backwater sweatshop will try to make their team implement chapter six.

How do you know a catastrophically bad technology decision is about to be made?
-The decision maker is on their BlackBerry for the duration of the meeting and is not paying attention to 
 the awful technology idea being presented.

The Southern Slow Cooker

The Southern Slow Cooker: Big flavor, low fuss recipes for comfort-food classics by: Kendra Bailey Morris

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

My Review: I give this book 5 stars. And recommend it to all who enjoy fine Southern cooking. This book started out with a great introduction section that helped beginners know their way around what they would need in the kitchen to successfully use the recipes. That being said this book has so many delicious sounding recipes I think I gained 5 pounds just from browsing through them the first time. I have successfully made a delicious batch of the Smoked Ham, Potato, and Rice soup. I never would have thought to put rice in on my own. I also made a delicious meal of the SoCo Baked City Ham and Angel Biscuits(I can't believe I've been making biscuits out of a can for so long) with Granny's no Egg Applesauce Cake to finish it off. The recipes are easy to follow with appetizing results. The only thing that could have made it better was more pictures, though I may have started trying to eat my book.

Synopsis:
A collection of 60 soulful, comforting, and wonderfully convenient recipes for Southern favorites--from Black Eyed Peas with Stewed Tomatoes to Country-Style Pork Ribs to Molasses Gingerbread.

Cooking delicious, soul-warming Southern food that the whole family will love has never been easier!

Whether it’s a big pot of black-eyed peas, fall-apart tender pulled pork, or creamy apple butter, the greatest Southern dishes have one thing in common: they taste best when they’re cooked low and slow.

With more than sixty recipes for down-home favorites, ranging from Chicken and Cornmeal Dumplings to Buffalo Stout Beer Chili to Brown Beans and Fatback, The Southern Slow Cooker is packed with real Southern flavor. Author Kendra Bailey Morris presents regional classics from all over the South: church potlucks, Cajun and Creole traditions in the bayou, even her West Virginia granny’s old recipe book. Morris carefully tested and adapted each recipe for the home kitchen, and the result is a treasure for busy home cooks everywhere. With hardly any active cooking time and featuring affordable ingredients, every dish is simple, convenient, and downright delicious.

Start the slow cooker before work and come home to the mouthwatering aroma of Country-Style Pork Ribs. Or, prep the cooker on Sunday morning and have Breakfast Apples or a Sausage and Tater Tot Casserole ready by brunchtime. Since no Southern meal is complete without a sweet treat at the end, there are even slow cooker desserts, like Molasses Gingerbread, Lemon Blueberry Buckle, and Chocolate and Caramel Black Walnut Candies.

All of these satisfying, flavor-packed, and wonderfully simple recipes allow you to make the food you love in the time you have available—and will have you and your family begging for seconds.

eXclave- a BDSM erotic bundle

eXclave- a BDSM erotic bundle by: Emily Ryan-Davis 

Read & Reviewed by: Cris

My Review: I gave this book 3 stars, and would consider reading it again and maybe recommend to others. They were interesting stories but very short, and I felt like they were over before I could even get a feel for the characters. Its is a nice little toe-dip into the world of BDSM erotica I would like to see this book expanded to include several more short stories or have the two current stories built onto. It left me feeling underwhelmed which isn't what I was hoping for from a bundle.

Synopsis: Two Steamy Stories in one bundle, includes BDSM romances CLAIMING LAUREN and DOMINATING AMY.

About CLAIMING LAUREN

One night should have been enough...

Twenty-seven-year-old Lauren Brant is the perfect society wife. She hosts dinners for her husband’s colleagues. She attends charity functions. She’s entirely appropriate…except for her clawing need to submit to a man she knows only as Master.

Unable to deny her cravings, she arranges to meet Master. No names, no faces, nothing but submission and sensation. Except it isn’t enough. Even before the night ends, Lauren needs more.

But “more” isn’t part of the arrangement and she returns to her polished life only to discover her estranged husband has come home. After five years of being invisible to Jacob Brant, Lauren doesn’t know what to do with him. He, however, knows exactly what to do with her…

About DOMINATING AMY

Till-death-do-us-part should have been enough…

Mac Corcoran spent a long time running from the specter of his parents’ abusive marriage. He’s worked hard to suppress his dark urges and channeled his energy into building his own relationship upon a bedrock of respect and equality. 

It takes two people to make a marriage work, however, and when Amy Corcoran’s submissive needs hit a breaking point, her only options are to walk away from the man she loves or force him to acknowledge her as the woman she is now. Even if that woman isn’t the same one he married ten years earlier.

With no more time for running, can Mac overcome his fear and be the Dominant man Amy needs him to be or will fear of repeating the past cost him the only woman he’s ever loved?