Mysterious Saturday Review: Embers and Ash

 * Final. book in the trilogy - comes out July 10th *

Sara Jane has had a hard few months trying to pretend that everything's normal - that someone hasn't kidnapped her parents and her younger brother, that goons aren't chasing her all over town, and that she isn't helping keep the mob under control.  The secrets she learns about the mob and her family will lead her to discover the ultimate power but can anything ever be the same?

My Thoughts: I loved this trilogy - for the actin, the danger, the loyalty, the secrets of Chicago, and the inside knowledge of the mob.  I loved Feisty Sara Jane and her determination. I loved Doug and Harry. I really liked the ending, especially since I never saw the plot twists coming. An excellent end to a heart-pounding trilogy.

Cover Thoughts: Love it
Source: sent for review

Cover Sighting

Are you a fan of action/thriller books? Have you read the Cold Fury books? FLICKER and BURN, is out now! I love these books for the danger, the action, and the streets of Chicago. Check out the cover for book 3! I really like it, especially the flames. What do you think?

For more info check out the author's webpage: http://www.tmgoeglein.com/index.php

Guest Post: Ted Goeglein

From the author of Cold Fury and the upcoming Flicker and Burn - out August 20th. I really enjoy these books featuring the Chicago mob, danger, and lots of action. Welcome Ted!

Hiding in Plain Sight 
Sometimes the best way to preserve a place is for the general public to ignore it. If enough years pass and a location doesn’t alter its appearance too much, people get used to it to the point of invisibility.
 
Throughout the COLD FURY trilogy, I use many real Chicago locations that have existed for decades. Few rival the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge for pure, undiluted criminal history.
 
Originally opened in 1907, The Green Mill was secretly owned by Al Capone less than twenty years later. In FLICKER & BURN, I mention a thug named ‘Machine Gun’ Jack McGurn who served as Capone’s chief enforcer. He was an Outfit killer who enjoyed his work, pressing a nickel into the hands of his victims as a trademark.
 
Although unproven, it’s believed that McGurn planned and carried out the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14^th, 1929, when seven members of a rival gang were lined up and shot, execution style. As a reward for being such a skillful murderer, Capone gave McGurn part ownership of the Green Mill. The place became renowned for Jazz and the famous musicians who performed there.
 
Capone was sent to jail in 1932 and McGurn’s end came soon afterward. On February 13, 1933 – one day before Valentine’s Day – he was gunned down in a bowling alley. A valentine card was pressed into one of his hands; the other held a single, cold nickel.
 
The Green Mill has lived on through a succession of owners who’ve barely changed a detail from McGurn’s day. The sign, bar, bandstand, booths, murals, and Jazz are the same as the day he died. Passing through the door is like drifting into 1927. Most Chicagoans don’t notice the Green Mill because it exists; if it were gone, the absence would be glaring.
 
It’s an apt metaphor for the criminal world that my protagonist, Sara Jane Rispoli, is a part of in FLICKER & BURN. The Chicago Outfit is here, there, everywhere, and nowhere, all at the same time. 

This just in...Ted's in Trouble. Again.

Review: Flicker and Burn

 * Book 2 in the Cold Fury trilogy*

Sara Jane's spending her summer searching for her missing family. She's trying to uncover more secrets buried in the notebook. She's trying to keep the mob happy, so they don't think her father's off telling company secrets. Most importantly, she's trying to save her life by fighting off deranged creatures.

As the summer comes to a close, new family members appear. She's surprised to find herself happy to have a cousin the same age. Still Sara Jane tries to keep them from uncovering the truth about her family's disappearance, not to mention the real family business.

Sara Jane's also trying to juggle her relationship with Max. He's asking questions that she doesn't want to answer and brushing him off isn't making him happy.

All this pressure is getting to her. Can she uncover the information she needs without getting caught?

My Thoughts: The second book in this trilogy packs lots of action and danger.  It's gripping, emotional, and thrilling. I liked the new addition of the Rispoli family, even though they posed more trouble for Sara Jane.  I liked Heather's side of Cold Fury - it was impressive and fitting.  It took me a bit to wrap my head around the Ice Cream Guys - I couldn't see them in my mind, but they were vicious. I felt horrible for Doug. Most of his action happened off the pages, but I couldn't believe what he did. As in the previous book, I loved uncovering bits and pieces of the mob's history and their secret hideouts. I really liked Flicker and Burn and can't wait to see how it all wraps up! 

Cover Thoughts: I like it
Source: ARC from the author

Teen Book Character Outfit

This week features Sara Jane Rispoli from Flicker and Burn (review coming tomorrow)

Flicker and Burn by jrummel 

The pin will also go up on my Library Pinterest Board

Flicker & Burn: Blog Tour with Contest

I really enjoyed Cold Fury when I read it earlier this year. Check out my review. So I'm excited to be part of the blog tour that's revealing the cover for Flicker and Burn. Notice how the cover's changed on Cold Fury to match. Personally, I can't wait to read Flicker and Burn.

The thrill ride that began in Cold Fury kicks into high gear in Flicker and Burn, as the threats to Sara Jane Rispoli come at her from all directions. She continues the desperate search for her missing family, but this time she’s on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and ghostly white skin chasing her through the streets of Chicago in black ice cream trucks – they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're skeletal and ferocious, hell-bent on catching or killing her, but also a weird link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them.

While Sara Jane battles these new pursuers, she learns painful lessons about the phenomenon that possesses her, cold fury. At the same time, she’s uncovering buried secrets about the misdeeds of her family – old murders and blood vendettas – that might be connected to the disappearance of her mom, dad, and brother. The mysteries, violence, and constant state of chasing or being chased could be the undoing of her relationship with handsome Max Kissberg. Despite the love growing between them, Sara Jane can’t tell him the truth about her life, and fears for his safety.

Not only do the Ice Cream Creatures display the grisly amputated finger of her mom to prove their viciousness, and not only does Lucky, the Outfit Boss of Bosses, whistle in Sara Jane for a sit-down with deadly consequences, but her gorgeous cousin, Heather Richards, enters the scene, as well. All that matters to Sara Jane is saving her family and keeping everyone she loves alive and safe. But the forces she encounters, both external and the ones crackling inside of her, fight her every step of the way.

Doesn't that sound good????

Dates: June 2013 for Cold Fury paperback and August 2013 for Flicker and Burn

Contest:

Now’s your chance…Win an ARC of Flicker and Burn as soon as it’s available! It's unsigned, and it's US only

Rules:
Leave a comment by Tuesday December 18th 5 pm EST
Include your email address so I can get in touch with you if you're the winner!

Review: Cold Fury

Sara Jane comes from an Italian family full of secrets.It isn't until her parents and her brother goes missing after her grandparents die that she figures out the truth. Her family's part of the mob.

Her uncle and his wife wanted more of the family business. Sara Jane suspects her uncle of taking her family. Men are coming after her, wanting the family notebook. A notebook she never knew existed, but a notebook she must find if she wants to survive.

Now Sara Jane's gone into hiding to try to figure everything out. A handful of clues lead her to discover a world hidden right under everyone's nose. Determination and the Cold Fury that runs through her veins are the only things keeping her alive.

My Thoughts: It took me a couple chapters but then I was hooked! One of my favorite books is The Godfather. Sara Jane's story reeled me in and I'm so happy it's the first of a new series. I loved watching Sara Jane figure out the mysteries within her family. I loved watching her fight the bad guys and tame the guys in the mob. I liked her interactions with her two friends and their love for movies. Lots of action, lots of danger, and lots of fights make this debut heart pounding and almost impossible to put down. 

Cover Thoughts: Interesting
Source: Sent for review by the author

Other Teen Books about the Mob:
Son of the Mob
Mob Princess