So, as a reminder, I work for the author. Nice lady, not great with social media. 

Cold Blood, Hot Sea follows Mara Tusconi as she tries to find out the truth behind the "accident" that killed her colleague, get the grant funding she needs, AND conquer her fear of public speaking. Yeah, there's a lot going on. Though, much to Charlene's credit, the book didn't feel like there was too much going on, at least not to me. Well, maybe at one or two points, but only one or two. 

Overall I quite liked the book. The story was compelling and there were many points where I didn't want to put the book down. Mara was a likable character and for the most part enjoyed being in her head, though I did find her jealousy of Harvey a little annoying. It bugs me when a character constantly focuses on how much "better" another character is in comparison. But that's all very minor. Mara, as well as the other characters, felt like people I could meet in real life. In fact, she sounded just like some of the professors at my school. So the cast are fun to follow.  

Another thing I really enjoyed the book is the way D'Avanzo handles the subject of climate change, a really hot button topic. The book doesn't make anyone feel bad about being skeptical or unsure about the discussion. In fact, the only people it out right attacks are the flat out deniers, the corrupt kind that endanger other people's lives. One of the main characters himself is a skeptic, and he's a very human and enjoyable character. Many of the explanations given in the book about climate change science also help clarify a lot about the discussion and taught me a lot of things. I was really impressed with the way it was handled, since I've seen that discussion written in a much preachier way *cough cough, Maximum Ride, cough*.

The one thing I felt the book struggled with was pacing. There were some sections that felt like they lasted much longer than they should have and areas where I would have liked more information. Additionally, there were some areas where she could have made things a lot more intense than she did, such as when Mara's kayak rolled. I was just kind of like, you could have made this so intense but you kind of breezed right past it. But it's only the first book in the series, so I'm sure the next one will improve on these areas. 

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars. I liked it overall and would read it again. Gonna try and take shorter showers too. 

Final thought: Should be done with Sunshine Girl this week. That'll be fun to review. 

Torrey House Press, the lovely dears that they are, just sent me a major haul. Check it out!

(Mountain Rampage by Scott Graham, Yellowstone Standoff by Scott Graham, Cold Blood, Hot Sea by Charlene D'Avanzo)

I've been doing social media for both these authors and I am really excited to dive into their finished products. I'm reading Scott's book, Canyon Sacrifice, right now. It's a good haul. Hopefully it'll help me catch up on my summer bingo.

Shameless promotion time! I don't know if you all remember, but a few months ago I mentioned I was doing social media work for an author, Charlene D'Avanzo. Well, the book comes out tomorrow!

Cold Blood Hot Sea is a mystery centered around an oceanographer who believes a colleague of hers was murdered, rather than dying in an accident. She also believes it could be connected to the suspicious deaths of her parents years before. The book is filled with mystery and involves themes about climate change. 

If you're interested in a good mystery and want to contribute to a press that cares about the planet, I highly recommend checking it out. Charlene is such a sweetie and I'd love to see her get the recognition she deserves. 

For more information, check out her Website. Not to brag, but it looks pretty awesome. She's also on Facebook and Twitter. 

Congratulations Charlene!

Shameless promotion here. Charlene D'Avanzo is a Clifi writer I recently was asked to manage to social media of. The publishers she publishes through, Torrey House Press, have been good to me throughout the years. Gave me an internship and their press manager gave me a ride after I wrecked my car. Super sweet people. D'Avanzo is super sweet as well. 

Anyway, so what is Clifi? Well, it's short for Climate Fiction and as you can guess, the genre has to do with the environment and the climate, mostly focusing on climate change. Torrey House is an environmental press so it's no wonder they picked up on her work. 

D'Avanzo's first book, which comes out in May, is a murder mystery set around oceanographers studying the sea's temperature. It's the first of her Mara Tusconi series and needless to say it looks like it will be awesome. 

So if you're looking for a good mystery and you also want to know more about climate change, look her up! Like I said, she's super sweet!