"Reality
can be beaten with enough imagination." --Anonymous
By
staying on my website, you acknowledge that you are of
legal age to view the material presented here. Because I
read and review books of multiple genres, there might be
discussion of stories with sexual content. I may post
blurbs or excerpts of my own work, which may contain
sexually graphic or violent scenes. Or I may decide to
post a
picture of some hottie that catches my eye, and I can't
guarantee how much clothing he will or will not be wearing.
If you are easily offended or have no sense of humor,
please leave my site now. Still around? Then, welcome to my
home on the Net.
Before I began reviewing books, I had a To Be Read (TBR)
pile/shelf of about 50 books. Now, I have at
least double
that. I thought I'd be able to decrease that amount, as a
reviewer, but I find myself reading a great book, and then
have to go buy more by the same author.
If I didn't review books, I'd still have a mammoth TBR,
because I can never seem to go into a book store and simply
browse. I can't even go into a store and buy only one book!
It's a compulsion. Hello, my name is Denise and I am a
bookaholic. My idea of a thoroughly hellish life isn't
coming face-to-face with Freddy Krueger. It's stepping into
the world of
Fahrenheit 451.
Since I started writing my first full-length novel, I have
little time left to read for pleasure. In fact, the only
reading I seem to do is for my reviews. However, there are
times that I just have to take a breather, pour a glass of
wine and read a book. If the book's good, I obviously want
to share my literary euphoria. So, at the bottom of this
page, you'll periodically see brief opinions about books
I've read, especially about those that you see listed in my
highlight banner. If you want anything more involved than
that, you'll have to read my reviews. I review under the
name of... Did you
seriously think
I'd tell you?
Recent Reads:
July 2008: I'm on a roll. Tempt Me With Darkness
by
Shayla Black comes
out in August. I was able to put my grubby hands all
over an advance copy! My review, among other places, is
listed over on my blog. Check it out!
July 2008: Wicked Hot by Charlene Teglia.
I wrote a review for this recently released novel and
posted a copy of the review on my MySpace, Amazon,
Borders, B&N and on my blog. Click on over to check
it out!
April 2008: A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix.
FBI Agent Heather Wallace is on the hunt for a serial
killer. The latest clues lead her to New Orleans where
she encounters Club Hell... and its owner, Dante. Soon,
she learns that there are such things as vampires and
other creatures in the night, and while all may be dark
and intense, not all are evil. The attraction for Dante
is more than just sensual. She also realizes that he has
a connection to the killer she hunts, a connection that
may make Dante the killer's next prey. While searching
for clues Heather uncovers a past that is troubling and
a present that is uncertain. Can she protect this male
from a vicious murderer? When all the puzzle pieces
finally come together, will the explosive secret be his
undoing? And when the dust settles, will either of them
ever be the same? Wow, wow and triple wow! The first
full length novel by Ms. Phoenix exceeded my
expectations. I was wrapped in a sultry world of
vampires, dark angels, mystery, intrigue and romantic
elements that took my breath away. First learning of
this book on a romance reader/writer/reviewer chat loop,
I soon learned this was no romance novel. But the more I
read, the more I wanted to read. Now that it's been
read, I have only one thing left to say: it's going to
be a hellishly long wait for book two.
March/April 2008: I love Lisa Gardner.
Can I say that again? I LOVE Lisa Gardner. She has such
wonderfully intense stories, deep characters and
rip-roaring plots. I just finished reading her
thriller,
The Killing Hour.
Yes, it came out in 2003, but my mother belongs to this
book club and interestingly enough, although I'd
read
Hide, Gone,
and
Alone, this
was a treat to read a past work. This is a story of a new
FBI agent, Kimberly, who teams together with a Georgia
Special Agent to catch a killer. This killer is truly a
monster, taking two women at a time, killing one almost
immediately, but leaving clues on or around her body to
lead them to the second body...if they're smart enough to
read the clues properly. She has enough past demons in her
closet to contend with as it is, but then her father steps
onto the scene. Will they be able to find the killer's
latest victim before she dies? And what's more, will they
be able to catch the killer before he kills again?
February/March 2008:
The Blue Zone by
Andrew Gross.
This is a seriously fabulous book. I read this book in
one sitting. You might have read Andrew's work when he
collaborated on a few of James Patterson's books. Now
he's writing on his own, and wow! what a wild ride. The
main character, Kate, discovers that everything she
thought she knew about her life was a lie. After her
father is arrested by the FBI, her family enters the
Witness Protection Program. She remains behind,
unwilling to give up her current life. A year later, her
father disappears, a friend is shot and she's being
hunted by unknown assailants. With no one to trust, Kate
races to unravel the mystery that is her life. Before
it's too late.