Review of: Gut Instinct, by Barb Han

Hi all!  Today I’m reviewing Gut Instinct, the second book in the Campbells of Creek Bend series by Barb Han.

Book Blurb (taken from Barb Han's website, because she says it better than I can!):

     Reunited… by a murderer

FBI agent Luke Campbell has never been more determined to catch the serial killer who’s eluded him for two years. Because this time the monster is after Julie, the ex he walked out on when he returned from Iraq, emotionally scarred and burdened by a secret. Now Luke will do anything-even risk his life-to protect Julie and regain her trust.

     But it’s a tense race against time. Defying FBI rules, Luke keeps Julie by his side throughout a harrowing chase. Once they’re finally at a safe house, it’s clear to him that the passion they once shared hasn’t cooled. Can Luke redeem himself and keep evil away from the woman he refuses to let go of again?

Rating: ***** (5/5)

Review: Luke & Julie have a romantic history that’s full of both happiness and pain… so Luke is even more determined to catch the deranged serial killer that has Julie next on his list of victims.

     I absolutely adore Barb Han’s writing.  Her characters are realistic, relatable, loveable, and there are the villains that are super easy to be disgusted by.  This novel had me on the edge of my seat & I couldn’t put this book down; the stakes felt higher in this novel – I’m going to attribute that to the history between Julie and Luke.  They were “the one that got away” for each other…can they reconnect while trying to capture a serial killer?

Also – be on the lookout for the last novel in the Campbells of Creek Bend series, Hard Target, to hit stores on 01/20/15 in paperback & will release on e-book on 02/01/15.  It’s available for pre-order on Amazon (also on Kindle), B&N, (also Nook), and a few other retailers.  Mark your calendars!

You should follow Barb on Twitter & Facebook – she’s awesome & she interacts with her fans!    

2015 Challenges & Events!

     Yesterday I gave a little hint about some blog Events that I'm going to be participating in this year.  Well, here is where you'll read alllllllllll about them.

     I'm participating in a couple of Reading Challenges, a Blog Organization Challenge, & participating in ARC Tours.  Whaaaaat?!  So excited!  

2015 Reading Challenge

     I found this on Pinterest, but it was originally posted (to my knowledge) on Popsugar.  The purpose of this challenge is to get me to explore books outside of my usual bubble, and to read as much as I can.  I'm super excited about a few of these! 

      (PS - Here is the banned books list!) 

     Also, PopSugar has a printable for you!  I tried to include one here, but Blogger & I had a disagreement about how that should work.  Go to this page, and the article has a "Download our Printable" link.  That will open up a file for you & all you have to do is hit Print.  I already have mine hanging on my wall! (Pro tip: it's easier to read if printed in B&W)

Alexa <3’s Books Flights of Fantasy Challenge

     I found this challenge through another book blogger (on Twitter too!), and am really excited about it!  In case you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of fantasy (I'm going to consider paranormal & fantasy sub genres of each other for this challenge, just fyi).

     Here is the gist of how the challenge works & how to participate (literally copied from the page on her blog, which you should visit because it's awesome & beautiful):

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

• Challenge yourself to read a certain number of fantasy books. Share your challenge number in a comment below, a post on your blog or even a tweet!
• On the last Sunday of each month, we'll be sharing our personal updates on the challenge. We'll be including a Linky, just in case you decide to do the same. (This is optional!)
• As mentioned, we will have giveaways! If you want to gain bonus entries for the giveaways, read any (or even all!) of our favorite fantasy books listed below:
• Joint Favorites: Throne of Glass, Harry Potter, Fire and Thorns, Snow Like Ashes, Queen of the Tearling
• Alexa's Favorites: Eon, Daughter of the Forest, The Elemental Trilogy, Song of the Lioness, The Hobbit
• Rachel's Favorites: The Grisha Trilogy, Harper Hall Trilogy, The Fever series, The Winner's Curse, Graveling

     I am challenging myself to 15 fantasy reads this year.  I don't think I'll be able to do a post on the last Sunday of each month like on their blog, BUT I definitely be posting and updating on my personal progress.

     I will be posting about it on Twitter, under the tag: #flightsoffantasy.  Feel free to follow me on there (@VWalkerViews)

Note: I'm going to be doubling up on challenges for both of the above events (i.e.: a book I read might meet more than one requirement for the Reading Challenge & could work as one of my 15 fantasy reads).

The Book Addict's Guide: Blog Organization Challenge

     I found this challenge, hosted by The Book Addict's Guide, the other night while scrolling through Twitter (I recently started following her on Twitter & she's awesome).  I had just finished putting together my own Blog Binder & was posting a picture of the binder to Twitter and then her post about her Blog Organization Challenge popped up.  Talk about fate.
    You can read about the Challenge here; I hope will help me really get this Blog organized!
    I'm going to post about the Challenge at least once a month (as my schedule allows - I can't say it will be the same week or weekend every month), and will write up a short note about how the Challenge is coming along.

Here is the V.Walker's Views & Reviews Blog Binder that I made the other night!  I'll be updating it & my first Blog Organization Challenge post will be about the binder!  Look for it soon!

And the last event (for now), but certainly not the least...

The Book Addict’s Guide ARC Tour(s)!

(ARC = advanced reader copy)

     This is a really great blog, and I found them through Twitter (and to think, I used to hate Twitter) and was able to sign up for the ARC Tour just in time.

     As one Brittany (one of the awesome bloggers) was kind enough to clarify for me, the ARC Tour is a way for authors to share their books with readers. The readers can then post a review on Amazon or Goodreads or their own blogs, but a review isn't necessary.  

     They just want to spread the love, which I think is awesome.  Keep checking their blog for new ARC Tours - you don't have to be a blogger to participate!!

     The first Tour that I’m participating in is for The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord, which is going to be released on 03/31/15.  Since the book is physically mailed from one person to the next, I'm not sure when I'll be posting my review, but I'm really excited to read this book!  I really do love YA novels, even if people think I'm crazy.  To quote Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from Orange is the New Black, "I'm not crazy, I'm unique!"

   I hope that you guys participate in the Reading Challenge(s) of your choice this year!  Make a promise to do more reading...it opens up worlds that you never even dreamed of.  And I want to hear all about your reading experiences, so feel free to comment on this post or on future posts! 

xo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

I hope that you all had wonderful celebrations that were safe and full of fun!  The mister & I spent the evening at home, not doing much.  We made some appetizers, did a mini-marathon & watched the Times Square Ball drop.  And then promptly went to sleep, haha!

Anyway, due to my recent decision to try to be more positive and to do away with negative/toxic influences, I’m not going to do a list of resolutions this year.  I want to do and be better on a daily basis, and I don’t believe that making a list of promises to myself will work in quite the same way as starting each day off with a positive perspective (besides, my “go to the gym more” resolution never sticks, haha).

Instead, I’m going to do something else.  I’m going to focus a bunch of my energy on this blog & on writing my very first novel.

There are a few very exciting new things that I’m going to do with the blog in 2015, which I will detail in my next post (tomorrow - I won't keep you waiting too long!) because this was supposed to be a short post to say Happy New Year & get everyone excited about 2015!

xo

PS - Remember to come back on Saturday (01/03/15) also, because the review of Barb Han's Gut Instinct will go live.  The book is FANTASTIC (just like the first one, Witness Protection -- there's a review of that one on my blog, posted on 12/09/14).

2014 - A Year in Review

       This has been a crazy year, and the approach of 2015 has me taking a look back and doing some reflecting on the ups and downs of 2014, and on the major changes I’ve made to my life.

        2014 was the year that I decided to not tolerate toxic & negative people in my life.  Granted, sometimes it seems like there’s no shortage of negativity surrounding me, but then I take a moment and try to remember that I have a fantastic husband who loves me, and a group of amazing friends and family who support me.  Those bad days don’t last all that long, even though they’re usually the days that seem to move the slowest.     

        It took a while, but I’ve learned that it’s okay to have those bad days, as long as I remember that there is a little bit of sunshine in every day.  And with my husband around, there’s going to be laughter sometime soon.  It’s like that really famous quote that we see everywhere: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”  Dance around and splash, baby.

        2014 was about becoming more positive and about learning exactly who I am and what type of person I want to become, and taking the steps to get there.  It seems absolutely crazy that at the age of 26 I still wasn’t sure who I was, but it’s the truth.  I was always trying to please others and make sure that everyone around me was happy, even at the expense of my own happiness.  And the worst part is that most of the time I didn’t even realize that I was doing it.  Weird, yes, but also true.

        I’m a people-pleaser, and that’s not a bad thing.  It’s only a problem when I focus on everyone else for too long and completely forget about myself & my own needs.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who doesn’t let me forget about myself. 

        I’ve learned to make sure that I take time to myself, to do what I love and what makes me happy.  And 99% of the time, he joins me – and that just makes everything better.  I know exactly how lucky I am to have him, and I’m grateful every day that he’s my husband. (Yes, I know…that’s super sappy and so sweet it’ll make your teeth hurt, but…tough, it’s the truth & I’m not in the habit of lying about how awesome he is).

        This last year I was able to meet some really awesome new people (you all know who you are!), and I decided to start this blog (even though it took me a couple of months to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it). 

        I also made the decision (thanks mostly to NaNoWriMo) to write my own novel (which is not even close to being finished, shh).  It’s a big step & a lofty goal, but I’m starting to gain more confidence in my ability.  It helps to have really great people in my corner cheering me on.  You all rock!

        So, what are my hopes for the coming year?  Well, I would really love to finish that novel I started.  I would love to see this blog grow…into what, I’m not sure, but that’s half the fun, right?

        I want to keep growing into the person I want to be, and finally take that honeymoon with that husband I keep raving about.  I hope to keep meeting new amazing people who inspire me to chase after my dreams, and I want to spend more time with my mom learning her delicious recipes.  She makes the best apple pies, you don’t even know.

        That was my year.  How was yours?  (I would love to hear about something you accomplished this year or about a fear you overcame, or anything else you would like to share!  I love hearing from everyone!) <3

        xoxo

Happy Holidays!

I would like to extend my warmest wishes for a happy and healthy Holiday season to everyone! 

It's a GIVEAWAY!!

Hi everyone!  I’m super excited to announce my first GIVEAWAY!!!  Last Thursday night  (12/10) I went to the CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK Book Launch Party and Signing at the Book Revue bookstore on LI.

And I got some goodies to give away!!!  Check them out below:

The winner will receive:

            2 Christmas Pens!

            2 Christmas in New York bookmarks!
            1 snowflake cookie cutter (with recipe inside the card)!

            1 green lighthouse ornament!

            An autographed copy of Christmas in New York (signed by all 4 authors)!!!!!!

Okay, so…Christmas in New York is an anthology of four novellas that intertwines the stories of four best friends: Sabrina, Cassandra, Jade, and Elena.  Below are the descriptions/ blurbs for each novella, taken directly from the back of the book.  

This Christmas, by Jeannie Moon: “Jake Killen is shocked to discover that he didn’t just walk away from Sabrina Gervais ten years ago, he walked away from their unborn child.  Struggling with anger, guild, and all the old chemistry, Sabrina and Jake wonder if this Christmas all their wishes can come true.”

All I Want for Christmas, by Jennifer Gracen: “Sean McKinnon blew it big-time with Cassandra Baines seven years ago, but when she happens to walk into his bar, can some New York Christmas magic help these two take a second chance on love?

A Light in the Window, by Jolyse Barnett: “When Jade Engel comes home to upstate New York to recharge, her brand-new friends-with-benefits arrangement with old friend and local celebrity Ben Stephens soon blows up in their faces.  Can they possibly forge a future together?”

Goodness and Light, by Patty Blount: “Elena Larsen and Lucas Adair both lost their mothers when the towers came down on 9/11.  Elena hasn’t set foot in New York since, while Lucas thinks of the city as hallowed ground.  But what if he and Elena are meant to be?”

Okay, now…onto the Giveaway Rules & Regulations:

You have a few ways to earn entries (3 ways, if I’m being precise).  If you subscribe to my blog, that will earn you more entries, thus increasing your chances of being chosen as the winner!

At the end of the contest (12/18) I’ll choose a random winner.  I’ll announce the winner at the bottom of this post, in the comments, and on my Facebook Page.  As soon as the winner contacts me & gives me his/her mailing address, the prizes will be mailed out the next day.  Just in time for Christmas!

Okay, so...here are the pictures of the prizes!

 

Click the following link to enter the contest: RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
(I had a Rafflecopter widget ON this page, but then I tried to change something and it disappeared and won't come back).

If you're not selected as the winner of this contest, you can always head on over to Amazon!  It's nice to have a backup, right?