Dale Ibitz's Blog

I heart Spring! Sunday morning, and yes, no snow. I mean, there's still snow on the ground but it's not falling from the sky. That's a good thing. And better yet, the weatherman says by the end of the week we'll be in the high 50's. Woot! After having the coldest month in recorded history in CT this winter, I am more than ready for spring.

And we're still sharing the Love! And Giveaways! And information on where you can find some cool (or hot) books!

This is day #3 of Cynthia Gail's blog hop featuring great authors in hopes to spread the love on some fantastic reads. I hope you find something new to love through this one. Keep an eye out! There is information at the end on how to enter to win this book...and some others.

Today's Author: Dorlana Vann
Dorlana Vann is the author of contemporary novels for teens and adults. Her inspirations are classic romantic comedies, fairy tales, and the supernatural. She enjoys shopping, TX Hold ‘em, movies, shoes, the beach, restaurants, and festivals. She lives in Texas with her growing family. 
Dorlana loves spring because she gets to eat outside. Even though she lives in Texas, it is still too cold in the winter (most of the time) and, as much as she adores summer, it soon gets too unbearable to have a meal outdoors. But spring, ah, the mosquitos are still sleeping, and the birds are singing, and it’s the best time to sit on a patio to socialize, eat, and enjoy margaritas.
Dorlana's Book that you simply must check out: The Trouble with Snowmen
Genre: Contemporary

Blurb:
Snowmen drift into your life like they were sent from above. The relationship is great, rolls right along, and builds. Everything seems perfect … until a little heat is introduced. Then they melt, leaving only their hat, their scarf, something to remind their victims of what they’d lost.

Urban cowgirl Haley Monroe is told that the fabulously hot guy who just dumped her was a snowman. Her friend, Maximilian, convinces her that the only way she’ll ever stop being played by snowmen is to become one. It takes a lot of drinks to work up the nerve, but Haley gets her sexy on and goes on the prowl.

Famous horror author Larry White drops everything to attend a midnight séance at Maximilian’s apartment where he meets Haley. By the way she’s dressed—and just propositioned him—he assumes she’s a hooker. Larry can’t pass up the chance to get inside her head, especially since prostitution is the character’s occupation in his next book.

After spending the weekend together, unexpected sparks surprise both Haley and Larry. The trouble is Haley is dead-set on snowmanning the unkempt “starving artist” she met at the séance, and Larry doesn’t think he could have a real relationship with a woman with a past, so they go their separate ways.

The real fun begins when they meet again and find out neither one of them were who they thought they were. Can they reignite the flame? Or will they have a snowman’s chance in hell?
Can you find Dorlana? Why, yes you can! Here's how:
Website: www.dorlanavann.me
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorlana
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DorlanaVann
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1329185.Dorlana_Vann
Amazon Author Central: amazon.com/author/dorlanavann
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dorlanaVann/

Amazon buy link: Book coming August 2015

Rafflecopter:
Need books? Need Love? Do the rafflecopter thingy and enter for a chance to win a bunch of stuff.
Click Here to Enter

Spring for Is for Hopping!

It's a spring Saturday and yes, it's snowing big fluffy flakes AGAIN. I thought I moved on yesterday when it was snowing...apparently I didn't move far, or fast, enough! I keep telling myself that spring has arrived, and in no time at all I'll be feeling it.
So, let's distract ourselves from the weather and share some Love! And Giveaways! And information on where you can find some cool (or hot) books!

This is day #2 of Cynthia Gail's blog hop featuring great authors in hopes to spread the love on some fantastic reads. I hope you find something new to love through this one. Keep an eye out! There is information at the end on how to enter to win this book...and some others.

Today's Author: Densie Webb

Densi Webb has spent a long career as a freelance non-fiction writer and editor, specializing in health and nutrition, and has published several books and tons of articles on the topic over the years. She grew up in Louisiana, spent thirteen years in New York, and settled in Austin, TX where it's summer nine months out of the year. She's an avid walker (not of the dead variety, though she loves anything to do with zombies, vampires, or post-apocalyptic worlds), drinks too much coffee and has a small 'devil dog'  that keeps her on her toes. She has arrested development in musical tastes and her two children provide her with musical recommendations on a regular basis.
Densi loves spring because that means it's almost summer!

Densie's Book that you simply must check out: You'll Be Thinking of Me

Genre: Contemporary

Blurb:You'll be Thinking of Me is the story of Rachel Allen's serendipitous encounter with a celebrity, her brush with obsessive love, and the bitter-sweet gift left behind by the very person fixated on destroying her life.
Can you find Densie? Why, yes you can! Here's how:Website: densiewebb.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/densei.webb
Twitter: @dlwebbGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show24546708-you'll-be-thinking-of-me
Amazon Author Central: http://amzn.to/1AJ
Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/1ColetQ1FH
Rafflecopter:
Need books? Need Love? Do the rafflecopter thingy and enter for a chance to win a bunch of stuff.
Click Here to Enter

It's Friday. It's Spring, well sort of, it's snowing big fluffy flakes where I live at the moment. But, let's ignore that and move on. It's time for some Love! And Giveaways! And information on where you can find some cool (or hot) books!

Hosted by Cynthia Gail, I'm participating in a blog hop this weekend with a bunch of great authors in hopes to spread the love on some fantastic reads. I'll be sharing a different author each day, beginning today , through to Sunday. I hope you find something new to love through this one. Keep an eye out! There is information at the end on how to enter to win this book...and some others.

Today's Author: Jo Richardson

Jo tells contemporary stories with romance, humor, the supernatural, the paranormal, suspense, mystery, action and anything else she can think up. In 2012, she wrote Cursed be the Wicked, a character driven, paranormal mystery romance that was picked up by Soul Mate Publishing and released in March of 2014. Since then, Jo has also written a couple of short stories and her recently contracted contemporary romantic comedy, entitled Cookie Cutter, is set to release on March 23, 2015 through Little Bird Publishing.

Jo loves Spring because the weather is perfect in Florida this time of year. It’s when her family starts making trips to the beach more often and some of her favorite TV shows are starting to come back. Win Win!

Jo's Book that you simply must check out: Cursed Be The Wicked

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal



Blurb:

Cooper Shaw lives his life under a pen name and enjoys the anonymity it provides during his journeys across the globe as a seasoned writer for a travel magazine. When his job lands him in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to cover the famous Festival of the Dead, he soon realizes that he can’t stay invisible forever as he faces ghosts from a past he’s been trying to forget ever since he left.

The city holds nothing but bad memories for Coop until he meets a quirky young woman with an old soul and curious insights by the name of Finnley Pierce. While she acts as his tour guide through a town he thought he knew, Finn helps him unearth the truth of his childhood and might even begin to open up his heart.

By unraveling the mystery of his father’s murder, Coop may finally accept who he is, where he came from, and perhaps even realize what he wants for his future.


Can you find Jo? Yes, you can! Here's how:

Website:  http://jrrichardsonfics.weebly.com/Website blog(if your home page isn’t your blog): http://jrrichardsonfics.weebly.com/the-blogFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JRRichardsonAuthorTwitter:  https://twitter.com/JoFictionFreakGoodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/JRRichardsonAmazon Author Central:  http://www.amazon.com/J.R.-Richardson/e/B00GIOCXSYPinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/JoFictionFreak/
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ISBVAJI/


But wait! There's more!
Jo has other neat books that you should check out!














http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GH2I458/                        














https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24974934-cookie-cutter


Rafflecopter :Need books? Need Love? Do the rafflecopter thingy and enter for a chance to win.Click Here to Enter

OK, so I've been absent for a wee bit. I hadn't realized how long it was until I saw the date of my last post. Oops.

First I had the holidays, then a promotion that requires very long hours at work, then of course there's the reading and writing (I'm about 1/2 way through writing my next book). But I have been reading...I just need to find the time to write those reviews! I will get back on track. Soon. I promise.

In the meantime, we're getting ready for yet another round of snow. It's been a very snowy February. And cold. Snow I don't mind. The cold sucks ass.

So, what to do with all that snow? Here are some creative ideas! I hope you enjoy some of these as much as I did.

Unkown
Melissa Pearl

Initial Thoughts: Solid fantasy story

My Rating: 4 Stars!Summary:
Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

Then a star begins to fall.

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

Then a star begins to fall.

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.
My Thoughts:This was a solid story with solid characters and motivations. Kyla is definitely scarred, and Jethro is the poor sod who pines after her from a distance, since Kyla has been engaged to his cousin.
So in this story the players have to fulfill the prophecy to save world from utter darkness, and in this prophecy they have to find the 4 elements. The interesting twist is *how* those elements are portrayed, but I won't give that secret away until you read it.
Kyla is strong and feisty, while her mother is suffocating, which makes her blind to what's going on in the kingdom. The bad guys are deliciously bad, and a character I thought for sure was good turned out to be naughty indeed. It's a great twist and setting up the characters for a huge betrayal.
The plot unwound like a chess game, with the players moving across the board like pawns. It was very well done.
I'm not sure of Kyla's feelings toward her fiance, whether she really loves him or just thinks she loves him because he's going to be her husband. For a such a strong character, this aspect seemed a little weak to me. I would think Kyla would know her own mind alot better. And as for Jethro? The girl has to be utterly blind to not see how he feels. But then again, she's only 16 so she could just be naive. Or maybe she's so comfortable in her role as 'friend' it would never occur to her that he feels anything differently.
Overall, really enjoyed this one. A great fantasy read.

Onyx
Jennifer L. Armentrout


 Initial Thoughts: Hot chemistry and a riveting ending!

My Rating: 5 StarsSummary:
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

My Thoughts:Okay, even though Katy was dumber than dirt in this novel, I still had to love it. My frustration level with the girl knew no bounds, but rather making me want to throw the book across the room, it made me want to read on to see what Daemon would do.
I will say one thing about Ms. Armentrout: the girl can write chemistry. Holy palapalooza! Katy and Daemon are smokin'! I felt a range of emotions when reading this book: anger, frustration, sadness, heat (yeah, that's code for lust). The book made me feel, and care about the characters.
Did I peg all the villains? Yeah, kind of. I wasn't exactly sure until the end, but everyone who I thought was twisted was. And there is some gray area in there, one of those good people can do bad things. I love good people who do bad things...but not nearly as much as I love bad people who do good things. (wink)
I wondered if the 2nd book in the Lux series would keep the momentum, and it did. It introduced new characters and new plot twists that kept things interesting without getting all weird. And the ending has me jonesing hard for book 3.

E
Kate Wrath


Initial Thoughts: Captivating

My Rating: 4 stars!Summary:
A poignant tale of love and friendship in a world beyond hope…

Outpost Three: a huddle of crumbling buildings choked by a concrete wall. Cracked pavement, rusted metal, splintering boards. Huge robotic Sentries police the streets, but the Ten Laws are broken every time one turns its back.

Eden is determined, smart, and a born survivor. Stripped of her memories and dumped on the streets of the Outpost, slavers and starvation are only the beginning of her problems. A devastating conflict is coming that threatens to consume her world and tear her newfound family apart.

Life is harsh. It makes no exceptions. Not even for the innocent.
My Thoughts:This is a gritty look at a dystopian future. A story full of strife, grief, poverty, politics, and a glimmer of underlying hope. I guess the message here is no matter what happens to you, true love can't be erased.
The author portrays a world that is specific and detailed. She writes with a flair that has you believing the story and rooting/caring for the characters.
I loved every character in this book. From Kate to her newfound family, the bad guys, the good guys, the innocents...it's a page-turner that has you guessing how things will end, what paths the characters will take, and who will be caught in the cross-fire. The plot weaves and bobs through these people's lives with ease, and just when you think things can't get worse...it does.
So why is this only a 4 rating? I had so many questions that weren't fulfilled. What made the world this way? Why can't people travel off the roads? Where do the sentries come from? Who is controlling them? I think if I had more of a sense of the world and what created this environment, this book would have been perfect.
Definite must-read for dystopian lovers!

Fade to Black
Tim McBain and L.T. Vargus



Initial Thoughts: Love the voice!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars!Summary:
Live. Die. Repeat.

Dying violent deaths over and over again totally blows. Loner Jeff Grobnagger has learned this the hard way. Every time he has a seizure, he dreams that a hooded man strangles and kills him. He runs. He fights. He hides. No matter what he does, his efforts end in a pretty bad case of death.

But when someone tries to kill him in real life, he realizes that what happens with the hooded man isn't just a dream.

Who is the hooded man? And who tried to kill Grobnagger in real life? His quest for answers leads to a missing girl, cults obsessed with astral projection, an arcane puzzle sphere, an evil book, a buxom private detective named Louise and a mustached man named Glenn that makes 'the best martini you've ever tasted.'

Yep. If it weren't for all of the horrific deaths, Jeff Grobnagger would be having the time of his life.

My Thoughts:
OK, I've read McBain/Vargus's books before, and I have to tell you...one of my favorite writing styles *ever*. I was captivated by the voice from page 1. The style has a witty, clever, funny edge to it that completely draws me in. This book did not disappoint in that area.

Now that the gushing is over, let's get on with it, shall we? So you have this dude, Jeff, who's dying over and over again in what appears to be dreams. Or nightmares. I guess if some hooded mystery man is killing you, it ain't no dream. :) But this doesn't happen when Jeff goes to sleep; his world literally fades to black and launches him into this death sequence with increasing frequency.

Yeah, not good.

He meets this older gent, Glenn, with whom he develops a friendship. Glenn is the kind of guy that seems to know a little something about everything. He's the kind of guy who takes a stranger into his home. He's the kind of guy who "knows things". He's the kind of guy who raises red flags all over this sistah's brain!

I liked the characters. I liked Jeff with his self-depreciating humor. He's obviously broken, keeps away from people, wants to be alone, and you find yourself rooting that the guy is going to be fixed somehow. I also liked Glenn, with his nurturing nature and his happy attitude. And apparently the guy's a genius in the kitchen. I'd like to invite him over for dinner!

I liked the plot, which moves forward at an easy pace, and never loses it's witty charm, even when things go black. I think the humor is more evident when things go black, which is a nice contrast. There are mysteries upon mysteries in this little book; lots of suspicious characters and missing daughters and secret groups and oh my, who is Jeff to trust?

You know, read the whole book, and still can't answer that question. As the first book in a series, I guess we'll get answers in future books.

Which brings me to my only complaint. The book ends with more questions than it started with. To me, I like to have some closure when I read a book. Even books in a series should have some amount of closure at the end...the book should have a beginning, middle and end and I felt this one really only had a beginning and a middle. Yes, some questions were answered at the end, but not the bigger issues. Throw a girl a bone here! I don't mind cliff-hangers in series; that's the draw to get you to read the next book, and to me this ending was a cliff-jumper!

However, that doesn't detract from my over-all enjoyment of this story, characters and writing, and I will read on when the next books are released. A definite recommend for paranormal and urban fantasy fans!

The Prophecy of Arcadia
M.H. Soars

Initial Thoughts: Great ensemble characters. Loved 'em all.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars!Summary:
Being a teenager is tough, especially when you have to pretend to be something you’re not, and you’re in love with someone you shouldn’t. 115 years ago, a small planet called Arcadia was invaded by a vicious alien race and nearly destroyed. Cut off from their resources, the Arcadians turned to Earth for help. A group of Arcadian explorers discovered a Prophecy that claimed their salvation lay in the hands of two children from Earth. To ensure their safety, the Arcadian Council sent their most gifted youngsters to Earth to act as protectors. Samantha is one of them.

To succeed in her mission she must learn to control her Arcadian powers and keep her true identity from her best friend, and the girl she swore to protect, Alexia. But Samantha will soon realize that nothing is as it seems. Someone is trying to prevent the Prophecy from taking place and the prophecy boy hasn't been found yet. There is also a new drug circulating at school that is turning students into freakishly strong menaces.

To make matters worse, distractions keep getting in her way. Such as her love/hate relationship with her “cousin” Matthew. Or her confused feelings toward popular and mysterious Julian. She wants nothing more than to be free to live her life. But the survival of Arcadia depends on her and her friends. Free will is not an option.
My Thoughts:This is definitely a YA read with all the angst and drama attached to it. What is simply great about this, though, is that the author so effectively captured the emotions rioting through the characters. It has a very real feel to it, even though there are aliens jazzing up the drama-works. Basically, these guys are going through alien puberty, trying to manage their developing powers while dealing with raging hormones. Fun stuff. heh heh
Told in 3 POVs,which I adored, you get an in-depth view to what is driving the characters. It's funny, because the summary focuses mainly on Samantha, and I would have said that Alexia is the main character in this story. 
The POVs are from Alexia, Samantha, and Matt. But there are other "cousins" in this ensemble cast that simply can't be ignored. I'm almost hoping to see some other POVs in future books, cuz I would most definitely want to get into the heads of some of them.
Some of the plot twists were evident, but I don't think red herrings were the author's intent. Some of the characters you really didn't know whether they turn out friend or foe. The author draws mysterious characters with such finesse, you kinda want to get in the story and break the code yourself. If you're drawn to those bad-boy types. Which I am. 
So, what brings the rating down a 1/2 star, is some plot points that didn't make sense. Maybe it was addressed in the story and I missed it, but for one, if these 'cousins' are supposed to be protecting Alexia,why did they send Alexia to live so far away from all of the cousins? Since she only lived with her cousins during the summer, who was protecting her when they were separated during the school year? Why did Mel take so long in Arcadia for training when others only went for a few days, and why was she so angry when she returned?
Maybe these are minor complaints, but I think are worth mentioning. Really, those are not enough to ever stop reading the series, or to stop me from recommending this book (which I have)!

Yay! It's Friday! So sit back and relax with a grin.


These are from a book called “Disorder in the Courts” and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place.


ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?' ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan! ____________________________
 ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. ____________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. ____________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?WITNESS: July 18th. ATTORNEY: What year? WITNESS: Every year. _____________________________________

ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you? WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you? WITNESS: Forty-five years. ________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS: Yes. TTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I forget.. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? ___________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? ____________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS: He's 20, much like your IQ. ___________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken? WITNESS: Are you shitting me?_________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time? WITNESS: Getting laid ____________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: She had three children , right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney? ____________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death.. ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated? WITNESS: Take a guess. ___________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female? WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male. _____________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ______________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight. _________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral... _________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished. ____________________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question? ______________________________________ 
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing? WITNESS: No.. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.