BLOG TOUR: Fear Collector by Gregg Olsen

 

"YOU'LL SLEEP WITH THE LIGHTS ON AFTER READING GREGG OLSEN." --Allison Brennan

Ted Bundy. America's most notorious serial killer. For two women, he is the ultimate obsession. One is a cop whose sister may have been one of Bundy's victims. The other is a deranged groupie who corresponded with Bundy in prison--and raised her son to finish what Bundy started. To charm and seduce innocent girls. To kidnap and brutalize more women than any serial killer in history. And to lure one obsessed cop into a trap as sick and demented as Bundy himself. . .

    

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“This or That”
with Gregg Olsen

Paris or Venice:  Paris, because I just visited there and like everyone who does, fell in love with one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Deodorant or Perfume:  For me or someone else? Deodorant for me! Something light in the way of perfume for a woman or girl…no heavy clouds of scent, please!

Winter or Summer:  Summer in the northwest where I live is brief, but spectacular.

Vampire Diaries or Twilight:  I love that Twilight is set here in my home state. So that’s the winner for me.

Angels or Demons:  Angels, of course. That might surprise people (since I write such dark stuff!) But the truth is, I need to believe in good things because without such hope, we’re in deep trouble!

Fall or Spring:  Fall because of the colors of the season.

Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter:  Harry Potter!

Ice Cream or Sorbet:  Sorbet (lemon or raspberry, please!)

Coke or Pepsi:  Mexican Coke.

Cabin in the woods or Condo on the Beach:  We live on the water, so I’ll take the cabin in the woods for a change of pace!

Kisses or Hugs:  Both!

Cash or Card:  Cash.

Print or Ebook:  Still in love with print books, but appreciate the convenience of ebooks!

Voice or Text:  Voice. My fingers seem too fat for texting.

Batman or Superman:  Batman…he’s more troubled!

Wheat or White:  Wheat always!

Romance or Passion:  Those two go together, don’t you think?

Night or Day:  Night…because that’s when I write.

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About Gregg Olsen

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Olsen has written eight nonfiction books, eight novels, a novella, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Dateline NBC, William Shatner's Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen's Snapped, Court TV's Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E's Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, he has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.  The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for the book's contribution to Washington state history and culture. His Young Adult novel, Envy, was the official selection of Washington for the National Book Festival.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel) and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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REVIEW: Ocean Kills by Jade Hart

Title: Ocean Kills
Author: Jade Hart
Series: Ocean Breeze #1
Pages: 404
Publisher: Self-Published
Date Published: December 8, 2012
Format: eBook
Source: Received from Author for Honest Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Around the world, murderers and rapists pick off the innocent. Killing loved ones, separating families, and ruining lives.

As an eight-year-old girl, Ocean witnessed her family’s massacre and something altered inside her. Twisting her genetic code… unlocking an ability to teleport.

Ocean Breeze was never destined to be normal, especially having been named after air-freshener. She’s a shadow, a ghost—a dark saviour of the innocent. Armed with a switchblade in her bra, and a box-cutter in her pocket, she hunts the filth of the world.

Callan Bliss is a Sydney police officer whose skill-set is far above that of a normal cop. All his fellow officers see is a hard worker who loves to catch perpetrators and surf, but that’s because they don’t know about his past. When Callan arrests a suspicious-looking prostitute, he comes face-to-face with a self-confessed vigilante, and suddenly, his secrets aren’t so easy to keep silent.

Ocean hates the police with a passion, and has no intention of being held captive by a cop, even if he is sexy as hell. Teleporting from under his nose, Ocean hunts her next target—a man responsible for the largest sex ring in South Africa—and now he’s about to die. But she doesn’t count on Callan giving chase, nor the body-quaking lust that consumes them. However, Ocean's dark hobbies take precedence over what her heart wants—her thirst for murdering is killing her too, and not even Callan can save her.

When Ocean Breeze (yes, that is her real name!) was eight years old she witnessed the extremely brutal murder of her family.  Something about the torment and torture she endured altered something inside of her.  The ability to teleport was unlocked in her.  Since then she has worked to keep the type of people that killed her family off the streets.  She stalks and kills the men that murder and rape and then teleports out of the scene.  But killing comes with a price.  With every life she takes she becomes less herself.  She becomes cold and uncaring.  Ocean knows that killing these men will eventually kill her very soul, but she feels she owes it to the would-be victims of these monsters, and she's unwilling to stop.

What I Liked:

*  I love Ocean's character.  She truly believes in what she does.  She's ruthless and angry, but she does what she does to save people.  Although she doesn't always make the right choices, her heart is in the right place.

*  Callan Bliss...Aussie.  Blonde.  Surfer.  Cop.  Do I really need to go on? 

*  The chemistry between Ocean and Callan...holy smokes!  Hot!

*  Maurice Green is like a father to Ocean.  He found her on the street and took her in.  He has some secrets still left untold, but it's obvious how much he adores Ocean.  He supports her decision to hunt and kill monsters, but he doesn't necessarily agree with her.  I love how supportive he is even though it breaks his heart.

*  The story:  I love the story!  Victim turned vigilante killer goes after sex trafficing ring...action, adventure and revenge.  It's a great plot.

What I Disliked:

*  Ocean Kills is a long book! I usually like a good long story, but with this one I felt like a lot of it dragged a bit.  Several times I found myself saying, "What?!  Where did that come from?"  Big sections of the book had no significance to the full story and could have been cut.  It would have helped with the overall flow.

*  Way too many quirky cliched sayings!   

Overall: 

Ocean Kills was a very enjoyable read.  It kept me up until the early morning hours, and that is the evidence of a great story for me.  I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instrument#5)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare



The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

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*If you have not read The Mortal Instruments there WILL be spoilers ahead!*

I'm not going to summarize the book like I usually do because the book blurb above is crazy long and tells you everything you need to know.  I do, however, feel like I should preface this review by explaining my love/hate relationship with this series.  I did not read City of Bones when it first came out.  Although I thought it sounded amazing I put it off forever.  Not until all three of the first trilogy were already out and a friend loaned me the books did I finally read City of Bones...and only City of Bones.  I just didn't like it!  I originally gave it 2 stars and decided not to read City of Ashes and City of Glass.  So, when Clockwork Angel came out I didn't plan to read it.  After all, it was set in the same world of Shadowhunters, I wouldn't like it any better right?!  But, after reading some of the reviews I decided to give it a try...plus the cover is amazing!  I listened to the audiobook version of Clockwork Angel, and I absolutely loved it!  After I finished it I couldn't wait to get my hands on more of The Infernal Devices.  What was I going to do while I waited for Clockwork Prince?  Hmmm, maybe I should give The Mortal Instruments another try.  So I got the audiobook version of City of Bones...and I really, really enjoyed it!  The farther I got into The Mortal Instruments the more I enjoyed it, and I'm really glad I went back and gave them another chance so I didn't miss out on this wonderful story.

So, what did I think of City of Lost Souls?  I loved it!  Actually, I think it's my favorite so far in both series.  In the end of City of Fallen Angels you know bad things are going to happen to Jace so it's no surprise when City of Lost Souls starts off with Jace missing, Sebastian missing and the Clave looking for them both.  Clary and their group of friends know Jace is still alive, but they don't really understand where he's gone or why.  It's not until Jace comes for Clary that they realize that he is no longer the boy they know and love.  Now he's Sebastian's puppet, bound to him by Lilith's mark.  And no weapon in this world can harm one without harming the other.  Clary decides she's going to go with Jace and Sebastian while the others try to figure out a way to separate Jace and Sebastian.

We get to see some intense changes in many of the relationships in this book.  I love where we're going with Simon and Isabelle and with Jordan and Maia.  Alec succeeded in making me extremely angry and watching the relationship between Alec and Magnus makes me simultaneously swoon and cry.  I really need to see them figure things out.  Quite a lot of the plot lines are left hanging, and I'm hoping each and every one of them will be wrapped up nicely in the final book in this series, City of Heavenly Fire.  I have many questions I want answers to, but I love the mystery!  Like who is Brother Zachariah?  It's pretty obvious he's someone from The Infernal Devices, but who?!  I can't wait to find out.  What I'd really like is to see a family tree.  Would that be too much to ask?  Even though Jace isn't really Jace we still get to see lots of growth in his and Clary's relationship.  It's nice to see Clary hold her own this time.  She gets to show off the skills Jace has taught her, and she likes it.

As much as I enjoy the Shadowhunter world I am looking forward to a wrap-up of The Mortal Instruments.  I think it's time for them to get the happily ever afters that they deserve.  I hope we see lots more action with The Infernal Devices, along with some of the answers we're seeking.  And, I may be in the minority here, but I am looking forward to The Dark Artifices.

5 Stars * * * * *

ARC: The Loners (Quarantine #1)

The Loners (Quarantine #1) by Lex Thomas



It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

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David couldn't be dreading the first day of his senior year more.  At a party the night before he finds out  that his girlfriend has been cheating on him with Sam, who took over as the quarterback of the football after David quit the team the year before when his mom died.  David decides he's tired of moping around and tells his friends he wants back on the team.  But, as he's leaving the party he gets into a fight with Sam, and the team turn their backs on him.  Serious social suicide. 

But, David has no idea just how terrible his first day is going to become.  An explosion destroys the East Wing of the school and the teachers start simultaneously dying a horrific death.  The military sweeps in and welds the doors and windows closed and they tell the kids that they've been infected with a virus that will kill adults and children.  The only ones that can survive being exposed to it are pubescent teens.  Over the next year chaos ensues.  They develop a sort of society with twisted versions of high school cliques.  The military drops food and other necessities and it's a battle of the strongest to fight for what they need to survive.  Unfortunately, because of David's fight with Sam, he and his brother, Will, end up with no clique to help protect them, which makes surviving that much more difficult.

While I really enjoyed this book there were quite a lot of things that irked me.  For one, no one really talks about the people on the outside.  Where are the parents?  The kids don't act like they even wonder if their parents survived.  There were many times when I just stopped and thought, "Say what!?"  The whole scientific aspect of the story is extremely far fetched.  I found David to be a strong and loyal person, while Will acts like a spoiled brat one minute and a stand in hero the next.  And Lucy, while I really want to like her, she comes off as loyal yet meek one minute, and then cowardice and disloyal when things get rough.  And that's not even touching on her relationships with David and Will.  (I really dislike love triangles with siblings!)  The characters personalities are very inconsistent.  Well, all except Sam, our bad guy...he's just plain evil.

This book is filled with action and adventure and you're hooked from the beginning.  Loyalties are tested.  Death and betrayal run rampant, and the kids find out just what they're willing to do in order to survive.  The Loners leaves us with a cliff hanger of an ending so good that I can't stop thinking about it and my mind keeps wandering from one scenario to another.  It seems that while this wasn't the best book I've ever read, it was good enough to have me itching to get my hands on book #2. 

The Loners will be released on July 10, 2012.

To find it at Amazon click HERE.

To find it at B&N click HERE.

3 Stars * * *

* I recieved this ARC from the publisher via netgalley.
*While tagged as YA, this book is violent and gruesome and includes strong language and sexual situations.

Black Dawn (Morganville Vampires, Book #12)

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine



**Black Dawn is Book #12 of the Morganville Vampires Series**

In Last Breath, the rain brought a new and dire threat to Morganville and its vampires... their ancient enemies, the draug. Now, the vampires are fighting a losing war, and it will fall to the residents of the Glass House: Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire, to take the fight to an enemy who threatens to destroy the town, forever.

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Black Dawn takes up exactly where Last Breath (Book #11) ended.  The vampires and humans have all retreated to Founder's Square and are hiding from the draug.  Amelie has been bitten by Mangus, the master draug, and is turning into a draug herself.  The vamps and humans are working together to try to figure out a way to save Morganville from a threat so deadly that even the vamps are afraid to go outside.  Of course, it falls to Claire, Eve, Shane and Michael to save the day.  

Considering the fact that I was pretty disappointed with Last Breath, I was relieved to enjoy Black Dawn so much.  As usual, I really enjoyed the relationship between the four friends.  When Shane is in trouble they all risk everything to save him.  There is a lot of tension between Eve and Michael, and it hurts Claire to see them so unhappy.  At one point Michael even tells Claire that he was wrong about not wanting her to move in with them way back when she first came to Morganville.  The friendship between the four of them is so strong.   

When I first began this series I loved how unique the concept was.   A whole town created by vampires where humans know what lurks in the dark, but they attempt to live together in harmony...well as much as possible.  These vampires aren't your fluffy, romantic version that so many books are all about.  These vamps are real, blood-thirsty and devious.  Humans don't leave the house after dark.  They're free to live as they please, but they're pretty much captives in the town.  I used to read these books and I would hold my breath not knowing who could be trusted and who couldn't.  I suppose it's because the series has gone on for so many books, but I've lost that thrill.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Black Dawn.  It was probably my favorite in the series.  But, when Oliver threatens Eve and/or Claire I know he's all talk.  When Amelie tells Claire she's going to turn her I know it's not really going to happen.  Even psycho Myrnin, who has lost it and attempted to kill Claire time and time again, has become soft.  Although I'm still enjoying it, I miss the thrill and excitement that was so rampant in this series.  I'm really excited to see where the series is headed now with the vamps telling them the rules are changing.  This could be good!  Maybe not so good for our four friends, but good for me!  I am anticipating lots of excitement for Bitter Blood (Book #13)!  Hopefully it won't disappoint!

***** 5 stars

Still Missing

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

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Reading Still Missing was like driving by a really bad car accident.  Even though it's horrible and you want to cover your eyes you can't help but stare. 

Annie O'Sullivan is a realtor that is abducted from an open house.  This book is her story as told during sessions with her psychiatrist after her escape.  She's drugged, thrown in the back of a van and driven to a remote cabin in the middle of who-knows-where.  Her abductor, whom she calls The Freak believes that he has saved her from her life.  He brings her to his home, which he has specially built just for her, complete with padlocks on the doors, drawers and even the refrigerator.  Her new life is a series of schedules.  Everything from eating, bathing, and even going to the bathroom are done only on his schedule.  For nearly a year Annie is held captive, rarely even getting to go outside.

This book is an outstanding debut novel.  It kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat.  As appalling as the story is, it is amazingly written.  I felt Annie's pain.  I felt her loathing of The Freak; I hated him for her.  And through all of the heartbreak I wanted to see Annie survive, not just her captivity, but the struggle after.  And quite frankly, the real horror begins when she gets home.

I gave Still Missing 5 stars and I look forward to seeing more of Chevy Stevens.

*I listened to the audiobook.