Today's photo is inspired by the below video!  I think the second one is more accurate though!

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You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor

There are  a bunch of blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts May 24th and and ends on May 27nd,  midnight. 

There are  a bunch of blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts May 24th and and ends on May 27nd,  midnight. 

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.

Contest ends on 5.27.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.

This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE set is available.

Complete the below form 

Andrew Yancy—late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff’s office—has a human arm in his freezer. There’s a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it’s not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first—this being Hiaasen country—Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy’s new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen’s greatest characters.

Here is Hiaasen doing what he does better than anyone else: spinning a tale at once fiercely pointed and wickedly funny in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance in mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. He is the author of twelve previous novels, including the best-selling Lucky You, Nature Girl, Sick Puppy, Skinny Dip, and Star Island, and four best-selling children’s books, Chomp, Flush, Hoot, and Scat. His most recent work of nonfiction is The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport. He also writes a weekly column for The Miami Herald.

Andrew Yancy is having a bad day, well, really a bad month.  He lost his job as a police detective when he attacks his girlfriend, Bonnie's husband with a mini vac.  I can't even begin to describe what he does with it but let it be known that it was all over YouTube in minutes.  The newly elected sheriff really likes Yancy, so he gets him a job as a restaurant inspector in the Florida Keys.  Yancy promptly looses about 20 pounds.  Also, Bonnie is a wanted woman since the affair with one of her high school students.  Mix in a Medicare scam, a detached arm that won't go away and a new love in the form of a forensic doctor, Rosa,  called to examine said arm.

Of course, there are lots of little sub plots, something for everyone with an environmental theme running throughout.  Yancy's next door neighbor is overbuilding a house and down in the Bahamas, a pristine beach is being developed by the owner of the lost arm and Medicare scammer.  I can't reveal much more since it would reveal too much of the plot but let's just say that Karma comes calling for this evil person.  Each character has a unique flavor that only Hiaasen can provide.

The best thing about Hiaasen's books is that the plot details and story lines are so absurd they couldn't possibly be true and then you read the notes.  Almost everything is mined from Florida headlines and then embellished with great flare.  Hiaasen creates another wonderful story and he is one of the few authors that I have read everything he has written.  Even the gold book and I am not a golf fan. The twist at the end will truly have you smiling as the bad guys get what they deserve.  Oh, and the good guy gets the girl.

Disclosure  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  

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You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor

New York Times #1 bestselling author Alex Flinn reimagined the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast in Beastly and gave a twist to the story of Sleeping Beauty in A Kiss in Time.

Now with her gothic and darkly romantic YA novel Towering, Alex Flinn retells the tale of Rapunzel.

When Rachel was taken to live in a tower by a woman she calls Mama, she was excited. She felt like a princess in a castle. But many years later, Rachel knows her palace is really a prison, and begins to plan her escape. She is encouraged by the speed that her golden hair has been growing. It’s gotten long enough to reach the ground. And she’s begun dreaming of a green-eyed man. Could he be out there in the world? Is he coming to save her? Or will she find a way to save herself?

Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Beastly, a spin on Beauty and the Beast that was named a VOYA Editor's Choice and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Beastly is now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens. Alex also wrote A Kiss in Time, a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty; Cloaked, a humorous fairy-tale mash-up; and Bewitching, a reimagining of fairy-tale favorites, including Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, and The Little Mermaid, all told by Kendra—the witch from Beastly. Her other books for teens include Breathing Underwater, Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, and Diva. She lives in Miami with her family.

Rachel's first few years were normal and then the woman she has called Mama takes her to a new home, where she is locked high into a tower.  Rachel adjusts to this new place and reads her days away.  Her hair grows freely, especially when she is stressed.  Wrapped up in her world of literature, she wonders if she will ever have a first kiss or romance of her own.  As her hair is growing more rapidly lately, she braids it and cuts it, making a rope, for what she is not yet sure.

 Wyatt, is sent to stay with his mother's best friend, Mrs. Greenwood, in the mountains where there is no cell reception and only small town life.  He mistakenly wanders into her deceased daughter, Danielle's room and discovers her diary.  Now with Wyatt narrating the story, we see how all of these characters come together.  There is a disturbing drug problem in this small town and quite a few local teens like Danielle, have disappeared.  When Rachel happens to spy and then save Wyatt from a frozen lake, the story becomes increasingly ominous.  All three characters collide in the end with a remarkable outcome.

This is a retelling of Rapunzel using  a dark, Gothic mystery much like Wuthering Heights which is also one of Rachel's favorite reads.  Although this one didn't grab me like Beastly and had no Kendra involvement, I really enjoy Flinn's writing and this story does work in the end.  There are lots of interesting minor characters that add a unique small town flavor to the mix.  Parents:  this one has some kissing, mentions of drug use (in an evil light) and is pretty safe for teens.  I am now looking forward to see what is next for this author.

If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  

Visit Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks from May 22nd – May 31st and create your SUMMER OF LOVE Mixtape for a chance to win a trip for YOU and THREE friends to Las Vegas.

*No purchase necessary. Ends May 31, 2013.

With THE LOOK OF LOVE, bestselling author Bella Andre introduces you the Sullivan family. In this fun and emotional contemporary romance series, when a Sullivan bad boy falls...he falls hard. And it's forever.

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he’s home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will she let him?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only, with every loving look Chase gives her—and every sinfully sweet caress—as the attraction between them sparks and sizzles, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception. And although Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether…for Chloe’s heart.

With FROM THIS MOMENT ON, bestselling author Bella Andre introduces you to Marcus, the second Sullivan bad boy, whose life will never be the same from the moment he meets Nicola…. For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all. Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets. One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But nothing goes as they plan when instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated. And even though they both try to fight it, growing emotions - and sizzling attraction - keep drawing them closer together. Close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough?

Get ready for another Sullivan bad boy to fall in love in the third book of Bella Andre's bestselling contemporary romance series!

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and can't stop thinking about. Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving - and losing - a man with a dangerous job again. Only, when Gabe and Megan meet again and uncontrollable flames of desire ignite between them, how can he possibly ignore her courage, determination, and beauty? And how can she deny not only his strong bond with her daughter.but the way his sweetly sensual kisses are challenging her to risk everything she's been guarding for so long? This winter, if one - or both - of them aren't careful, they just might end up falling in love.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they’ll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine ”Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

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This giveaway is sponsored by the author and ONE bag is available.

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Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!

His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen’s legendary hero. And she’s falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?

Eliza’s doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them?

O’Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief – even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best. Clever, charming and affectionate. ~Jocelyn Bury …the reader must tenaciously read on rather than put the book down to satisfy their hunger for the story to resolve, which it does in characteristically Jane Austen fashion. ~Erin Murdock

In Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, author Sally Smith O’Rourke creates a compelling story that investigates what and who might have inspired Jane Austen. While the story line is certainly far-fetched, it is a truly unique idea, one that captivated this reader until the very last page. ~Meg Massey

 Sally Smith O’Rourke is a surgical scrub nurse at the City of Hope national cancer research hospital in Duarte, California and resides in the near-by Victorian village of Monrovia. With her late husband, author Michael O’Rourke (aka F.M. O’Rourke) Smith O’Rourke owned and operated a medical advertising company where she used her diverse talents to produce and co-write teaching films and videos. Working not only with major medical and surgical manufacturing companies but also network television. These endeavors ultimately led to a collaboration on two feature films (direct to video) and three published novels. The wife and husband writing team of Sally Smith and Michael O’Rourke, being long-time fans of Jane Austen, wrote The Man Who Loved Jane Austen released by Kensington Books in 2006. Kensington followed that very successful effort with The Maidenstone Lighthouse in 2007 and Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage in 2009, both also collaborative projects by Smith and O’Rourke. Published after her partner and spouse’s untimely death in 2001, the publisher chose not to use the names Michael O’Rourke and Sally Smith (as the manuscripts were presented), releasing all three books under Sally Smith O’Rourke. Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is Sally Smith O’Rourke’s first solo novel.