Janet Evanovich - One For the Money

2. One For the Money by Janet Evanovich (1994)
The Stephanie Plum Series Book 1
Length: 334 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 17 January 2016
Finished: 26 January 2016
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 December 2015
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Janet Evanovich is a new author for me.

Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to average Joes, small-time hoodlums, and Stephanie Plum. Stephanie is a Jersey girl through and through, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems. She used to be a lingerie buyer for a department store, but ever since she lost her job, money is tight. Stephanie needs cash - and she needs it fast, so that means she must do the previously unthinkable: swallow her pride, and turn to her family.

As the last resort of the truly desperate, Stephanie lands a job with her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She has zero experience, but that doesn't mean anything. Vinnie gives her a week to catch his latest bail jumper: one Joseph Morrelli. The name doesn't mean anything to Stephanie, really...it doesn't. Neither does it matter that the bail jumper in question is actually local vice cop Joe Morelli.

Nope...It doesn't matter one bit to Stephanie that from the time they were children, Joe Morelli has caused her nothing but headaches. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time they first slept together to the time that Stephanie hit him with her father's Buick, The name Morelli has meant nothing but trouble. And now this hot guy is in some seriously hot water - wanted for murder.

Abject poverty may be a remarkable motivator for learning some new skills, but being stalked by a seriously deranged prizefighter can provide a much needed incentive as well. Being taught a class in the school of hard knocks by people like Benito 'The Champ' Ramirez doesn't rank very highly on Stephanie Plum's latest to-do list. Still if Stephanie can nab Joe Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight - and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

I have heard so many good things about this series, but have never actually read any of the books in it. Janet Evanovich is a new author for me, but why did I wait so long to read anything by her? I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was an intriguing mystery and I really appreciated the thread of dry humor that ran through the story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future and give this book a definite A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Christine Nolfi - The Shell Seeker

1. The Shell Seeker by Christine Nolfi (2015)
Kindle Worlds Novella: The Lei Crime Series Book 2/Lei's Magic Series Book 2
Length: 105 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started: 30 December 2015
Finished: 4 January 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Christine Nolfi for sending me a copy of this book to read from Amazon.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 30 June 2015
Why do I have it? I like short stories and have read and enjoyed several books by the same author in the past.

Leilani Texeira - a recent police academy graduate - is exactly two weeks away from accepting her newest assignment with the South Hilo Police Department in Hawaii. However, before Lei embarks on her future career, she reluctantly accepts a gift from her aunt Rosario: a five-day vacation at a relaxing Bed and Breakfast in South Carolina. While Lei truly appreciates her aunt's kindness, she isn't at all sure if she'll enjoy herself, because she is just so anxious about starting her new job. Lei still embarks on her vacation - but with absolutely no idea of how magical the trip will actually turn out to be for her.

Anyway, Lei arrives at the beachside Bed and Breakfast, and discovers immediately just how charming it is. Everywhere she looks, Lei sees signs of the laid-back, easygoing Southern lifestyle: the place is definitely a tourist's definition of absolute paradise. The hostess of the Bed and Breakfast is an honest-to-goodness Southern belle named Pixie, for heaven's sake! Ms. Pixie Delacorte is first and foremost, the quintessential genteelly-bred Southern hostess: offering up copious pitchers of sweet tea along with her Southern hospitality and gossip - oh, and she claims to have psychic powers as well!

However, there is so much more than magic in the air of South Carolina. Leilani Texeira - rookie police officer - will soon be drawn into her first case: the case of the Pirate Necklace. According to Pixie - the fount of all knowledge when it comes to the history of South Carolina - the legend of the Pirate Necklace can be traced all the way back to the eighteenth century. Apparently, the famed emeralds had once belonged to Edward Teach - the infamous pirate also known as 'Blackbeard'.

In the 1700s, the emeralds were spirited away from Blackbeard's ship sometime during the middle of the night by a resourceful young thief named Nathaniel. Since that time, the illustrious Pirate Necklace has belonged to an elite family in South Carolina's social scene - the Belvedere Family. Unfortunately, the necklace has been snatched once again. This time, the emeralds were stolen from the statuesque matriarch of the Belvedere family: Marie-Therese, a woman whose petty cruelty is only exceeded by her overwhelming arrogance.

Although Lei doesn't really care for the prim and proper socialite's icy demeanor, she feels an instant connection to Marie-Therese's stepdaughter: a highly-proficient, if struggling artist. It seems as if an supremely unlucky star has followed Sydney Belvedere for the majority of her life, and Lei finds that she can relate. If history continues to repeat itself, Sydney may always be star-crossed: because if the necklace isn't found soon, she stands to lose a treasure much dearer than the most precious gem. And it's only the magic of Lei’s intuition that stands between Sydney and her unspeakable loss.

So, back in April of 2015, I read Ms. Nolfi's first book in her Lei's Magic Series: The Shell Keeper. This second book in the series picks up relatively close to the end of the first book. I just want to say that in my opinion, The Shell Seeker was definitely worth the wait to read.

The characters and plot are all so well-developed; I found myself really caring for the characters and hoping that they would come through their various issues relatively unscathed. I definitely appreciated that the story itself was so well-developed for its length. I would give this novella an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Yearly Reading Wrap-up at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading year for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out January with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this year came from Bookmooch, Paperback Swap, Smashwords, authors and Library Book Sales. Quite a number of my books that I read this month left my house to go to new homes so that's something I guess. :)

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Rereads
- Forever and Always: A Romantic Short Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
- Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels With God by Deanna Nowadnick
- The Adventures of Binkle and Flip by Enid Blyton
- Dream Student by J. J. DiBenedetto
- An Epiphany Gift For Robin: A Short Medieval Christmas Story by Joyce DiPastena
- Madison's Song by Christine Amsden
- I, Mary by Mike Hartner
- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram
- The Avalon Relics: Lilith Links by J. L. Clark
- The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom and the Sea Princess by Judy Carlson
- A Keiki Mystery: Warrior Dog by Emily Kimelman
- Witchcraft Couture by Katarina West
- Hidden Poppies by M. L. Doyle
- The Lady and the Minstrel by Joyce DiPastena
- Grey by Christi J. Whitney
- Death Wish by Megan Tayte
- A Snake in Paradise by Eden Baylee
- The Ghostcrow: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino
- Half Moon Girls by Corinne O'Flynn
- Stonehill Downs: A Novel by Sarah Remy
- Never Again by Julie C. Gilbert
- Blood Mission by Joni Parker
- The Shell Keeper by Christine Nolfi
- Water so Deep by Nichole Giles
- Tangled Omens by Joni Parker

- ItGirl4Life: How to Bring Out Your Special Something and so Much More by Tamara Branch

- The Black Elf of Seaward Isle by Joni Parker

- Wintergarden by T. M. Wallace

- Night Carnival by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- Jezebel: A Horror Thriller Novel by Gordon A. Kessler
- Growl by Ashley Fontainne
- Not Without my Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace by Andra Watkins
- Epitaph: Reveille by Victor Nieves
- Strings by B. A. Spicer
- Peaches in the Attic: A Rather Disturbing Tale by B. A. Spicer
- Angels: A Metaphysical Horror Story by B. A. Spicer
- The Gladiator's Girl by Amy Hearst

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))

- Mirror World by John Calicchia
- Cooked Goose by G. A. McKevett
- The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell
- Into the Shadow by Christina Dodd
- L is For Lawless by Sue Grafton
- Lord of Shadows by Alix Rickloff
- M is For Malice by Sue Grafton
- Mossflower by Brian Jacques
- One For the Money by Janet Evanovich
- Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
- Strange Brew by Kathy Hogan Trochek
- Sunlight, Moonlight by Amanda Ashley
- Wild Cat by Christine Feehan
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
- Lady of the Glen: A Novel of 17th-Century Scotland and the Massacre of Glencoe by Jennifer Roberson
- Thirteen by Candice F. Ransom
- Damiano by R. A. MacAvoy
- Fey: A Fantasy Novella by C. S. Feldman
- Dream Fragments: Stories From the Dream Series by J. J. DiBenedetto
- Almost Ten and a Half by Candice F. Ransom
- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram
- Rock Bottom by Mi'kea
- Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
- A Kind of Compass: Stories on Distance by Belinda McKeon
- Second Chance Grill by Christine Nolfi
- Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash
- The Weight of a Wing by Ioana Visan
- Owlet by Emma Michaels
- Pokergeist by Michael Phillip Cash
- Princess Eyes Part I by Lucas Kana
- Princess Eyes Part II by Lucas Kana
- Seal of a Monk by Eden Baylee 
- Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe
- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
- The Shell Seeker by Christine Nolfi
- BlindSight: Adams Thriller Complete by Susan Peterson Wisnewski
- The Dream You Make by Christine Nolfi
- A Visit From Sir Nicholas by Victoria Alexander
- Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman
- Running Blind by Cindy Gerard
- The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie
- R is For Richochet by Sue Grafton
- The Raven Warrior by Alice Borchardt
- Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck
- New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
- A Marble Woman: Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott by Louisa May Alcott and Madeleine B. Stern
- J is For Judgment by Sue Grafton
- The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
- Hunting Sweetie Rose by Jack Frederickson
- How to Date a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase
- Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
- Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
- Dancing With Demons by Peter Tremayne
- The Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne
- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
- Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
- The Blooding of Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys

- Shadow's Rise: Return of the Cabal by Joseph J. Bailey
- Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash
- Four Wishes by Christine Nolfi
- Mindsharing: The Art of Crowdsourcing Everything by Lior Zoref
- Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by James and Deborah Howe
- Growl by Ashley Fontainne
- Narvla's Celtic New Year by Therese Gilardi
- The Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe

- Guardians, Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain
- Hellfire and Damnation III by Connie Corcoran Wilson
- The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun

- Animal by Nikki Rae

- And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

- The Princess in His Bed by Lila DiPasqua
- 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories by Martin H. Greenberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz and Robert H. Weinberg

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))

- Betty and Howard's Excellent Adventure by J. J. DiBenedetto
- Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels With God by Deanna Nowadnick
- Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
- Second Chance Grill by Christine Nolfi 
- The Sight by David Clement-Davies
- Dream Student by J. J. DiBenedetto
- An Epiphany Gift For Robin: A Short Medieval Christmas Story by Joyce DiPastena
- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram
- Papa Was a Gypsy: A Short Story by Shannon Celebi
- I:32 P. M.: A Short Story by Shannon Celebi
- Eleven Winters in Purgatory: A Short Story by Shannon Celebi
- The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom and the Sea Princess by Judy Carlson
- A Keiki Mystery: Warrior Dog by Emily Kimelman
- Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
- Hidden Poppies by M. L. Doyle
- The Lady and the Minstrel by Joyce DiPastena
- Grey by Christi J. Whitney
- Death Wish by Megan Tayte
- A Snake in Paradise by Eden Baylee
- Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery
- The Ghostcrow: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- The Cat Who Lived High by Lilian Jackson Braun
- Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn
- The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino
- Half Moon Girls by Corinne O'Flynn
- Never Again by Julie C. Gilbert
- The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova
- Blood Mission by Joni Parker
- The Shell Keeper by Christine Nolfi
- Water so Deep by Nichole Giles
- Tangled Omens by Joni Parker
- ItGirl4Life: How to Bring Out Your Special Something and so Much More by Tamara Branch
- Night Carnival by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- Jezebel: A Horror Thriller Novel by Gordon A. Kessler
- Growl by Ashley Fontainne
- The Cat Who Smelled a Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun
- The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun
- Forever and Always: A Romantic Short Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- Strings by B. A. Spicer
- Peaches in the Attic: A Rather Disturbing Tale by B. A. Spicer
- Angels: A Metaphysical Horror Story by B. A. Spicer
- The Gladiator's Girl by Amy Hearst

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading year for me. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 39
Pages Read: 8,294
Grade Range: A+! to B+!

So, there you go! The reading year that was 2015! I hope that you all had an equally good reading year; if not a little better. :) See you all next year! :)

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For December at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out December with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from authors, Paperback Swap, Amazon and a Library Book Sale that Mom and I went to on the 23rd.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels With God by Deanna Nowadnick
- Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Lady of the Glen: A Novel of 17th-Century Scotland and the Massacre of Glencoe by Jennifer Roberson
- Cooked Goose by G. A. McKevett
- The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell
- Into the Shadow by Christina Dodd
- L is For Lawless by Sue Grafton
- Lord of Shadows by Alix Rickloff
- M is For Malice by Sue Grafton
- Mossflower by Brian Jacques
- One For the Money by Janet Evanovich
- Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
- Strange Brew by Kathy Hogan Trochek
- Sunlight, Moonlight by Amanda Ashley
- Wild Cat by Christine Feehan
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
- Mirror World by John Calicchia

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))

- Second Chance Grill by Christine Nolfi 
- Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
- Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels With God by Deanna Nowadnick
- Betty and Howard's Excellent Adventure by J. J. DiBenedetto

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 492
Grade Range: A+! to A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was December. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often