Saturday, August 27, 2011

LOVE LIES BLEEDING: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
 LOVE LIES BLEEDING
BY JESS McCONKEY

ABOUT THE BOOK:
To what lengths would you go to keep a past buried?

Samantha Moore is the golden girl—with a perfect job, a perfect man, a perfect life—until a random act of violence changes everything. Unconscious for two months, Sam awakens from her coma a different person—bitter, in constant pain, and forced to endure medications that leave her nauseous, paranoid, and struggling to keep a grip on reality.

Furious with her family for sending her away to a small, remote town to recuperate—placed completely under a physical therapist’s care and robbed of what little freedom she has left—Sam lashes out at the “nice people” all around her who claim to have only her best interests in mind. But are her violent outbursts the by-product of her condition . . . or something else entirely? Strange things are happening here—and either Samantha Moore is losing her mind or her friendly new neighbors are far more dangerous than they appear to be. . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jess McConkey is an award-winning writer of short fiction. She lives in a small Iowa town and is currently working on her next novel. You can find out more about Jess by checking out her website HERE


PRAISE FOR LOVE LIES BLEEDING:
In the vein of Jennifer McMahon’s Promise Not to Tell and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold  comes Love Lies Bleeding, a haunting story about the lengths to which people will go to keep their pasts buried. Jess McConkey (aka award-winning author Shirley Damsgaard) enthralls with her ingenious blending of family drama and gripping mystery. Suspenseful and absolutely chilling, Love Lies Bleeding grabs hold of the reader from page one, as a young woman whose golden life is shattered by unexpected violence is sent to a small, secluded lake town in Northern Minnesota to recover—and soon suspects the town’s eccentric residents are hiding more than one truly frightening secret.
--Harper Collins

“A riveting ride that will start your blood racing from the first line and keep you guessing until the last.”
— Kris Neri, author of Revenge for Old Time's Sake
 “Part mystery, part ghost story, Love Lies Bleeding takes readers on a spin-tingling trip into a disturbed mind and the lives of two women who must face their greatest fears--or die trying.”— Casey Daniels, author of A Hard Day's Fright  “Haunting, mysterious, and subtly romantic, this debut under Shirley Damsgaard’s psuedonym is inspirational and full of hope.”— RTBookreviews.com
MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Jess McConkey’s LOVE LIES BLEEDING is a thriller that illustrates that even if you seem to have the perfect life, one thing can happen and all that can change. Main character Samantha is the girl everyone else wanted to be. She had it all as far as looks, love, and life. But nobody is immune to danger if it happens to be aimed at you. When Samantha is attacked by a gang and beaten over the head, she becomes an innocent victim just like anyone else can be. This is bad enough as it throws her into a coma for two months but gets worse as when she awakes and begins to recover, it is evident she will need full-time care.

Being very independent and liking to call the shots, Samantha is livid that everyone seems to be making decisions for her and since she is used to being in control, she lashes out. Her family and her fiancé set it up so that she will be taken to an out of the way, remote facility to recover. At this lake house center, Sam should be able to get the best of care, spend her time doing her painting as she is very artistic and loves that, and make a full recovery. However, this isn’t how things turn out. Sam doesn’t feel she can trust anyone as she become suspicious and filled with anxiety. At this point, one might say it is understandable as she recovers to feel these emotions.

BUT, with Sam feeling that she is unable to trust anyone, this could be more than her recovery. She may have a really good reason for this as odd things begin to happen. The community she has been placed in to recover seems to have a lot of people with a lot of secrets. Samantha comes to realize that she isn’t the only one who isn’t safe here. She does have Anne who is an interesting supporting character that is, let’s say, Samantha’s nurse. She is strong willed and sticks to her guns to help Sam get better and after a while, even Sam begins to like her. However, I am not sure anyone could like Sam’s fiancé Jackson. He seemed to have a very conceited attitude and treated everyone like he was better than them. He was a plastic surgeon and I felt like he was the kind of doctor who really did think he could play God with people’s life. I didn’t trust or like him.

The other supporting characters like Greg and Blanche all play a part in Samantha’s “recovery attempts” as well as in the mystery of what is really happening here. I was intrigued by the aura of some paranormal type activities in the story and found that the mystery in the book would unravel slowly and then suddenly hit you with a different turn. It was the kind of book I hated to put down mostly because it wasn’t a typical mystery and I wanted to know just what in the world was going on. I think fans of mystery and even paranormal (although there isn’t that much) will enjoy LOVE LIES BLEEDING.

 GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MEGAN AND THE GOOD 
FOLKS AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE 
TWO COPIES OF THIS THRILLER TO
GIVE AWAY TO MY READERS
  
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
 

COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT LOVE LIES BLEEDING THAT MADE YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK,  AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR JESS McCONKEY BY CHECKING OUT HER WEBSITE HERE


+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK, PLEASE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, COMMENT ON EACH WAY SEPARATELY.
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 15

126 comments:

debbie said...

It sounds like a very good mystery. I would like to see what happens during her recovery.
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debbie said...

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Karen B said...

I'm always up for a good thriller, especially when it takes place in my state(MN.)
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Unknown said...

I love reading mysteries. It sounds very good. It will be interesting to see what is happening in this town. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Carole Spring said...

Part thriller, part mystery, and hard to put down - sounds like a book I would enjoy reading.
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traveler said...

This mystery is captivating and special. Many thanks.saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

She writes another series set in the south. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

Seems like one of those great, mind bending thrillers. Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I am an email subscriber.
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petite said...

An interesting mystery. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

The author's website is lovely. She has another name for a different type of book she writes. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

Margie said...

This sounds like a very exciting psychological mystery. If you couldn't put it down, Karen, I want to read it!
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

Jess McConkey is the alter ego of author Shirley Damsgaard. I found it interesting that this novel takes place in Minnesota.
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Sue said...

I, too, am someone who likes to be in control and lately due to several surgeries I've had to let others be in control sometimes, do the driving, help me with things I'm used to doing myself----so I'd like to see how she handles the situation and comes out the other side.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Sue Farrell said...

On the author's website they call the book a soughern gothic set in Minnesota---Is that possible in our below zero winters?
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Sue Farrell said...

I am an email subscriber
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ann said...

Sounds like a great mystery . Curious to find out the ending


amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

On her website they called Love lies Bleeding a soughern gothic book



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ann said...

I also like on FB

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ann said...

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ann said...

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mamabunny13 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
lag123 said...

I want to know more about what is going on in this small town. Thanks for the giveaway!

lag110 at mchsi dot com

mamabunny13 said...

“Haunting, mysterious, and subtly romantic" makes me want to read this book.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

Something interesting to me is the idea of creating her own novel was born during a late night gabfest with her cousin.
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mamabunny13 said...

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Pat L. said...

Am interested show the event will change her life.

patoct at yahoo dot com

Pat L. said...

Interesting that she came up with story by having a get together with her cousin.

patoct at yahoo dot com

lag123 said...

Tweeted: https://mobile.twitter.com/lag32583/status/107589602096840704

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lag123 said...

I learned that Love Lies Bleeding is the first title under her pseudonym.

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maryf said...

i love a good mystery and a woman who wakes up from a coma is a good start to a great story i am sure!

sweetpea0861@yahoo.com

maryf said...

whenthe author was 5 she wanted to be a princess, not a writer!

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Anonymous said...

love a good thriller/intrigue.

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Linda Kish said...

Well, I always like to read a book in which there is something even remotely medically related. And, I love a thriller/mystery. This sounds interesting to me.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

As her "other self" Shirley Damsgaard, she is the Postmaster in the small town in which she lives,
along with her writing.

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Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

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Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I was just discussing mystery/thrillers at a BBQ yesterday(leave us women alone for 10 minutes and were compare and recommending books)and this so sounds like one we'd all enjoy!

(\___/)
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(")_(")

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Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I love Damsgaard's mysteries so can't wait to see what her alter ego does with a thriller.

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Pamela Keener said...

This book sounds very interesting.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
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Pamela Keener said...

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bison61 said...

coma and friendly new neighbors - this book sounds great

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Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful thriller, my favorite kinds of reads.

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Natalie's Mama

Anonymous said...

Found out that Jess is alter ego of Shirley Damsgaard.

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Natalie's Mama

Jolee said...

I enjoyed your review and the recommendation that it was hard to put down! joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

I saw on her website that the book was compared to the Lovely Bones, which I LOVED. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good mystery.

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Misusedinnocence said...

As someone who suffers from chronic pain it will be interesting to read a story with someone who has that as their main character. Sounds like a good read, I'd love to give it a go. :)

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Misusedinnocence said...

I learned that the author had back surgery in 2009.

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Misusedinnocence said...

I subscribe via email.

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Anita Yancey said...

Sounds really interesting. A very touching and mysterous book. I would love to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anita Yancey said...

I find it interesting that she also writes books as Shirley Damsgaard. She works as a Postmaster.

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Nancye said...

I would like to win this book because it sounds very intriguing!

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Nancye said...

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