I've Moved!!

I'm so done!

As many of you know, Blogger shut me down last week. So, I've been movin' moving' movin'! So please, stop by my new site (www.hottbooks.com) and follow me there!!

Do you like my reviews? If you do, please, stop by and rate them at one of the bookstores or review sites.

Gina ~ Hott Books

I'm Moving!

It's a done deal! I'm moving my blog on over... visit me at http://blog.hottbooks.com

Gina ~ Hott Books

Day 10 Review: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Welcome to my 30 Days of Christmas Reviews Holiday Feature!

Beginning November 26th and continuing through December 31st, I am posting 30 Christmas Reviews. Shop by Christmas 30 and find great new reads for Christmas.

I'd also like to add your Christmas Spirit to mine. So, link up any Christmas review that you create and join in on the fun! Add Your Reviews!

Hott Synopsis

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Are you living the life as God has planned?

You're following His rules and commandments, but is this the life He chose for you?

Is the person He planned for you the colleague that has been sitting two desks over for the last five years and whose name you can never remember?

Come visit the Christmas Ball. Here you can find everything you didn't realize you needed.

(By invitation only)

Hott Review

Magical. Inspirational. Romantic. Enthralling.

Within moments of opening this book I was captivated. I love magic and have always believed that God can do anything so reading a novella that backs that up was really fun. Everything about this was so real - the differing family dynamics, the battle we have with ourselves to be what God desires.

Enjoy a ride through the possibilities of this life.

Author:	Donita K. Paul
Grade:	A
Steam:	Y/A -- none really

Still undecided? Download Chapter 1 or check out the trailer and start this Christmas journey today!

Do you like my reviews? If you do, please, stop by and rate them at one of the bookstores or review sites.

Gina ~ Hott Books

** I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Many of the books I review are Advance Review Copies. These books are loaned to me for my review. I am in no way compensated for my time nor am I asked to give anything but my honest review. If you have further questions, please, review my FTC Disclaimer on my homepage.

Review: Mr. Poppers Penguins

Hott Synopsis

Mr. Popper wouldn't change a thing about his life...

BN | Amazon | GR

Well, maybe he'd like to have traveled to one of the poles before settling down with Mrs. Popper and having the children. He makes do by dreaming of exploring the vast lands of ice.

Until the day when a large box appears on his porch. A box delivered from a great explorer in the antarctic. A box containing a penguin. A large, proud, curious penguin.

And thus their adventure begins.

Hott Review

What a delightful story! I really enjoyed the penguins antics and the Popper family. It was terrific fun to read this to the children.

Of course, CJ (the 13 year old) and I enjoyed it much more than the littler ones... But it was fun nonetheless.

Author:	Richard Atwater
Rating:	B+

Gina ~ Hott Books

** Many of the books I review are Advance Review Copies. These books are loaned to me for my review. I am in no way compensated for my time nor am I asked to give anything but my honest review. If you have further questions, please, review my FTC Disclaimer on my homepage.

Day 9 Review: A Clockwork Christmas

Welcome to my 30 Days of Christmas Reviews Holiday Feature!

Beginning November 26th and continuing through December 31st, I will be posting 30 Christmas Reviews. Shop by Christmas 30 and find great new reads for Christmas.

I'd also like to add your Christmas Spirit to mine. So, link up any Christmas review that you create and join in on the fun! Add Your Reviews!

Crime Wave in a Corset

Hott Synopsis

When Cornelia hears herself described as a 'crime wave in a corset' she knows the jig is up. Unless, of course, she can escape this crazy professor who has attached the deadly timepiece to her wrist and the restitution he's devised for her nefarious deeds.

Hott Review

I loved it. I could read a whole series with these characters!

Quite graphically steamy but not distasteful.

Grade:	A
Steam:	Wowsers!!

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This Winter Heart

Hott Synopsis

Ophelia's back. That clockwork automation that tricked Dario into marrying her. How dare she return? And now, claiming to have borne his son? As if that were even possible! Yet, the child seems so real.... And Ophelia feels so right...

Hott Review

I detested this book, but I can't say for sure if it was the book I hated or just Dario. What a pompous, arrogant fool!

Grade:	B
Steam:	Adult

Wanted: One Scoundrel

Hott Synopsis

Esme needs not only a scoundrel but a manageable, honorable scoundrel. Luckily, her uncle knows just the man. Jedediah's first impression of Esme is that she's a bossy baggage, but that's okay with him. Only a weak man is afraid of a strong woman and Jedediah's looking forward to helping her fight for the women's rights movement she's instigating.

Hott Review

This was my favorite bit of Steampunk yet! The descriptions! The characters! The adventure! This one story is worth the price of the book!!

Grade:	A+
Steam:	None

Far From Broken

Hott Synopsis

He lied to her, he left her to be destroyed, then when she begged for death he had her rebuilt. Saved. All in the name of love. Will Calliandra ever be able to forgive her husband for the deception that caused so much pain?

Hott Review

I had my heart in my throat for most of this book. Jasper's love and guilty conscience brought tears to my eyes many times. Callie's anger and love were wonderful yet devastating.

Grade:	B
Steam:	Adult

Gina ~ Hott Books

** Many of the books I review are Advance Review Copies. These books are loaned to me for my review. I am in no way compensated for my time nor am I asked to give anything but my honest review. If you have further questions, please, review my FTC Disclaimer on my homepage.

Day 8 Review: The Christmas Lamp

Welcome to my 30 Days of Christmas Reviews Holiday Feature!

Beginning November 26th and continuing through December 31st, I will be posting 30 Christmas Reviews. Shop by Christmas 30 and find great new reads for Christmas.

I'd also like to add your Christmas Spirit to mine. So, link up any Christmas review that you create and join in on the fun! Add Your Reviews!

Hott Synopsis

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The town of Nativity is struggling. Terribly. They are very quickly drowning in the red.

The town's answer was to have a hotshot from a nearby town come in to reorganize and restructure. His only reorganization, though, has been to cancel all of the Christmas celebration activities. He even took thier tree! Of course, he's right - these are terribly costly - but, they're tradition. Why does it seem that he's just trying to take away the only thing they have left to celebrate?

Hott Review

Eh. If you want to read a sweet uncomplicated Inspirational Christmas Romance, then, this is the book for you. But if you're like me and prefer a bit more action, you can just skip this one.

Author:	Lori Copeland
Grade:	B
Steam:	Y/A

Gina ~ Hott Books

** Many of the books I review are Advance Review Copies. These books are loaned to me for my review. I am in no way compensated for my time nor am I asked to give anything but my honest review. If you have further questions, please, review my FTC Disclaimer on my homepage. This book, however, was a freebie from BN & Amazon last Christmas that I'm just now reading.

Why Do You Stop Reading?

I know that many blog readers go to each blog in their blog roll every day/week to read the new posts. I judt don’t have time for all of that. Every day I skim though my Google Reader.

Recently, as I skimmed I was thinking:
- “What makes me stop to actually read a post?”

- “What is it that makes something interesting enough to me for me to actually pause and read?”

- “What is it that makes me actually take the time to unsubscribe?”


Well, it took a little while but I came up with a few things that I’m going to share with you to help all of us grow in what we do.

1. Pictures.

   I will not stop and read something that is all text. If there is something that has all text or if the text is difficult to read, I won’t read it. The caveat? Well, the picture must pertain to the post. If it’s a book review. post the picture where I’ll see it right away. If it’s a meme, I want to see that right away as well.

2. Feed.

   I also, very rarely click to finish reading or comment on posts that do not have the full feed included. I do not have time to take another step.

3. Title.

   Don’t call it something it’s not… but please, PULL ME IN! If it’s a review of a book, I want the book title in there. Give me something that makes me want to read what you’ve written instead of leaping over you to get to the thousands of other things I need to accomplish.

4. First Sentence.

   This is where it’s made or broken. If you have a couple of headings, I may check out a couple but generally, if there isn’t something about your first sentence that I don’t find interesting, I’ll move on.

5. Length.

   I prefer posts that are short and to the point. I don’t care for the typically used excerpt from the author or external site. I’ll admit that sometimes I’ll post really LONG posts but, quite frankly, I wouldn’t read them. Let, me qualify that though. If I like the title and first sentence I’ll generally scroll over a longer post and if there are bullet points or sections in the article that interest me, if there are, I’ll read, otherwise, C-ya.

6. Headings.

   Maybe it’s ADD but I like when you have heading that are consistent. I want to know that when I read your review I’m going to get something out of it. So that if you consistently include the synopsis of books from GR at the beginning of your post I know that if I scroll down just a bit I’ll find something interesting. Keep it consistent. Your layouts, Your headings.

7. Popularity.

   If I see a review for a book I’ve already seen twice this week, I won’t read it. Won’t even glance at it.

Now, I’m not pointing to anyone in particular, as a matter of fact after thinking through this I’ve found a number of ways to ‘clean-up’, and I know that everyone has different tastes but if you are seeing people leave in droves, as I’ve seen more than one author admit to this week, maybe I’ve written a few things to consider.

Or, better yet, take a few minutes to look at your blog and your blog posts as a reader instead of as the author.

Would you follow you?

Gina ~ Hott Books

Day 7 Review: Only Us by @SusanMallery

Welcome to my 30 Days of Christmas Reviews Holiday Feature!

Beginning November 26th and continuing through December 31st, I will be posting 30 Christmas Reviews. Shop by Christmas 30 and find great new reads for Christmas.

I'd also like to add your Christmas Spirit to mine. So, link up any Christmas review that you create and join in on the fun! Add Your Reviews!

Hott Synopsis

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A girl should only have to wait for so long.

And yet, here Carina still is waiting for Cameron to notice her. Sure, he knows she's there - she's his best friend, pet groomer, and babysitter - but he doesn't seem to get that she wants more.

Well, Carina is tired of waiting on the sidelines. This Christmas she's giving him an ultimatum...

Hott Review

WOW

Yes, that about sums it up. I loved this book. The characters were fun and realistic. The plot was smooth and interesting. It wasn't too much or too little. Absolutely perfect!

Author:	Susan Mallery
Grade:	A+
Steam:	Y/A
Series:	Fools Gold		6.5

Others in the series:

Chasing Perfect, 1 Almost Perfect, 2 Sister of the Bride, 2.5 Summer Brides, 2.6 Finding Perfect, 3 Only Mine, 4 Only Yours, 5 Only His, 6 Onlu Us, 6.5

Gina ~ Hott Books

** Many of the books I review are Advance Review Copies. These books are loaned to me for my review. I am in no way compensated for my time nor am I asked to give anything but my honest review. If you have further questions, please, review my FTC Disclaimer on my homepage.