Friday, May 30, 2014

Excerpt from A Life Less Ordinary by @vicbernadine



Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit
Date Published: December 2012


For the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her career. But now, at the age of 45, she's questioning her choices and feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she's passed over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny's life will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she's quit her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she's leaving town on a six month road trip.

After placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she's joined in her mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke's true goal is to expose Manny's journey as a pitiful and desperate attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.

Now, armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny's on a quest to rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.



EXCERPT
All I ever wanted was a life less ordinary.”
Manny lay flat on her back, eyes wide, staring at the ceiling while she waited for her clock to hit 6:00. Another day of work, she thought. Another day older and deeper in debt.
She had the alarm timed to the millisecond. The jarring noise had barely begun when she clicked it off. She sighed then threw back the covers and got out of bed.
She padded into the bathroom, glanced without interest in the full-length mirror that doubled as her shower doors and took her morning inventory.
Plain face? Check.
Looking tired? Check.
Thirty pounds overweight? Check.
Dark circles under deer-caught-in-headlights eyes? Check and check.
She shook her head at her limp, mousy hair and wondered when she’d gotten so old.
She sighed in resignation then conjured up her Perfect Fantasy Man–or Harvey, as she liked to call him–to give her a morning lift. She cocked her head to one side as she stared into the mirror and imagined him standing behind her. She smiled at the handsome man, and he smiled back, putting his hands on her shoulders. Everything about him was warm, in stark contrast to the cold shades of grey in which she lived her life. He had warm brown eyes, warm brown skin, and a warm smooth voice that always reminded her of golden honey. Today his hair was black with greying temples, and yes, even that seemed warm to her.
He was perfect, everything she considered ideal in a man–and extra-perfect, of course, because he was a fantasy. Just the thought of trying to establish a relationship with an actual man felt too much like work.
She sighed and Harvey disappeared.
“Instead I ended up in a rut–everything planned and executed to the minute.”
She finished her shower and padded out to the kitchen wrapped in a worn terrycloth robe just as the coffee pot finished perking her morning coffee. She pulled a white cup out of the cupboard, filled it and took it with her to the bedroom, where she drank her coffee while she dressed and pulled her hair into its habitual bun high on the back of her head. At 6:45 sharp, she was back in the kitchen where she rinsed out the cup and put it on the rack next to the other three cups from earlier in the week; they marked the passage of time like scratches on a prison wall.
She walked out the door at 6:55 as usual, called good morning to Mr. Abinash from next door, as usual, got into her car and drove to work. As usual. She walked in at 7:37, called good morning to those of her staff already at their desks, and settled herself in her office.
As usual.
She sighed silently as she logged on to her computer and realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a sick day or had come in late. Even her car and traffic and the sometimes-harsh Edmonton winters had given up trying to throw off her schedule.
She sighed again as she rifled through her stacks of paper, searching for the information she needed to review before the staff meeting at nine. The last staff meeting before their new boss arrived at ten, and Manny went back to her old position. She’d enjoyed being the boss and thought she’d had a good chance to win the promotion. If she was honest with herself, though, she hadn’t really been surprised with the decision to offer the job to Steph. If she had the energy, she’d almost wonder why she didn’t even care that much.
“I told myself it was security. But all I was doing was sleeping with my eyes open.”
Manny glanced up as her assistant energetically bounced in.
“Morning, Manny.”
“Morning, Roxie. How was your evening?”
“Great–went to that new Robert Downey Jr. movie–rrrooowwwrrrr! Phil wasn’t too impressed with my drooling though.”
Manny laughed. “I’d expect not. I guess I need to go see it then.”
“Yeah, sure. When was the last time you actually went to a movie in the theatre?”
Manny paused, considering the question then shrugged carelessly. “Can’t remember, actually.”
Roxie shook her head in exasperated fondness and sat down in front of Manny’s desk. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “So, the new boss starts today?”
“Yep,” Manny replied absently, reviewing the e-mails in her inbox.
“Are you going to be okay with this? I mean, you–”
“Of course I’m okay with it. Steph’s a nice person, bright, energetic, competent, levelheaded, full of new ideas. She may have a bit of a learning curve ahead of her, but she’ll do just fine. She may be just what we need around here. Perk us up a bit.”
“Yeah, but you–”
Manny took her hands off the keyboard and turned to face Roxie directly. She gave her a reassuring smile and calmly held her gaze.
“I’m okay with it,” she said. “Really. I didn’t want to be the boss anyway.” She paused then continued. “Everything’s going to be fine. You’ll see. A new boss will be fun!”
Roxie grimaced cynically and Manny shook her head in mock disapproval.
“We should get to work,” she urged gently.
Roxie nodded and stood. “Yeah, that at least never changes. But Manny…”
Manny raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“It should’ve been you.”


Victoria Bernadine

Victoria Bernadine (a pseudonym) is, as the saying goes, a “woman of a certain age”. After twenty-something years of writer’s block, she began writing again in 2008. 

Victoria enjoys reading all genres and particularly loves writing romantic comedy and post-
apocalyptic science fiction. What those two have in common is anybody's guess. 

She lives in Edmonton with her two cats (The Grunt and The Runt). A Life Less Ordinary is the first novel she felt was good enough to be released into the wild.

Promo: An Etiquette Guide To The End Times




An Etiquette Guide to the End Times - Cover Reveal
By Maia Sepp
Women's Fiction / Dystopian
Date Published: June 6, 2014

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   Good manners never go out of style…do they?

There aren’t any zombies (yet), but the world is still at the brink of destruction: It’s 2028 and global warming has led to rising oceans, crazy weather, and resource scarcity. On top of that, someone just turned the Internet off. Seeing as how it’s humanity’s last chance to turn things around manners are, understandably, a bit frayed.


Etiquette buff Olive O’Malley is busy microfarming her urban property and minding her own business (and her chickens) when the government comes calling. Their goal is to push the populace towards carbon-neutrality while keeping kvetching to a minimum, and they come with a proposal: transition Olive’s popular etiquette column to a radio show for the masses, and they’ll help Olive find her grandfather, who’s gone missing.


Olive doesn’t trust the hipster government officials who try to bribe her with delicious-but-probably-a-little-evil chocolate pastries, and declines their offer. (Politely, of course.) But they won't take no for an answer, and soon Olive is knee-deep in turmoil, eco-terrorism, and missing chickens. Now she has to untangle herself from their demands and figure out how to make sure her family (and her poultry) are safe before it’s too late.


About the Author : Maia Sepp

Maia left the tech sector to write about sock thievery, migraines, and...the tech sector.

The Sock Wars is her debut novel. The first chapter of The Sock Wars was published as a short story/novel excerpt titled Irish Drinking Socks, and became a Kobo bestselling short story. The Sock Wars has been a top-100 digital bestseller on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the iBookstore, as well as a genre and Writing Life bestseller on Kobo.

Maia's second novel is The Migraine Mafia, a story about a nerdy thirtysomething's quest to come to terms with a chronic illness. It is available online everywhere.

Her latest is a humorous near-future dystopian novella, titled, An Etiquette Guide to the End Times, available June 2014. To be notified about new releases, please add yourself to Maia's mailing list: http://www.maiasepp.com/mailing_list.html.

Authors Links



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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Book Blast: Vengeance Is Mine


This is a book blast, you will post the promotional info we provide you with, including the giveaway. No reviews required.
Driven by a traumatic, violent event in his teenage years, Benjamin Tucker, bestselling true crime author, is obsessed with helping authorities solve savage crimes near his home turf of Holly Springs, North Carolina. When a series of decapitated female victims is found in neighboring communities, he is helplessly drawn in to the investigation to help bring the killer to justice. But in a bizarre twist of events, the psychopathic murderer becomes fascinated with Tucker and stalks him, presenting him with unimaginable, grotesque gifts. The hunt for the killer turns personal and Tucker isn’t sure if he’s become the killer’s idol or his next victim.
Vengeance is Mine, a gripping thriller with a healthy dose of droll humor, is a tale of sadistic revenge guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
You can purchase Vengeance is Mine at the following Retailers:
   
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About Harry James Krebs
Website
  
After receiving his BA in applied physics from Aurora University in Illinois, Harry spent thirty-seven years with United States Department of Energy Contractors as a senior mechanical engineer. He designed, built, maintained, and operated large experimental detectors for high-energy physics experiments at national laboratories such as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Superconducting Super Collider, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University.
Krebs always wanted to write mystery novels, but his engineering career left him little time to write until now. His first novel, Fractured Persona, is based on a recurring dream where he would wake up in someone else’s body and life.
The author and his wife currently live in Raleigh, North Carolina with their Chihuahua, Lucille.
GIVEAWAY
1 Winner will receive Autographed Print Copies of Fractured Persona and Vengeance is Mine
+ $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.
Must be 13+ to Enter
International Giveaway
*Book Nerd Tours is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Mail Box*

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TLC: Midsummer


midsummerF

Midsummer 

• Paperback: 150 pages

• Publisher: Inanna Poetry and Fiction Series (April 2014)

All her life, Joy’s been haunted by a man she’s never met — her visionary grandfather, the artist Lorenzo. At work on digging a New York subway tunnel, his pickaxe struck the remains of an ancient Dutch trading ship — and a vision lit up the underground, convincing him that he was blessed.  As it turned out, his children did well in life, and almost a century later, his granddaughter Joy, a gifted linguist, married the Canadian descendant of the lost ship’s captain.

Yet nonno’s story also led to the death of Joy’s cousin Leonora, her Aunt Elena’s only child. It was a tragedy that might have been prevented by Joy’s father Eddie, a man who’s been bruised by life and who seldom speaks to his sister. Yet in the year 2000, he has no choice.  Wealthy Aunt Elena and Uncle Carlo are coming from Rome to New York City to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They’ve invited the family to dine at the sky-high restaurant in one of the Twin Towers — above the tunnel where nonno Lorenzo saw his vision long ago. On the first day of summer, Elena and Eddie will face each other at last.

Midsummer is a story of family ties and fortune, and of finding peace as life nears its close, high above the historic place where nonno’s story began.

Praise for Midsummer
“Midsummer is emotionally focused and charged with the power of archetype, its undercurrent of passion perfectly controlled. Carole Giangrande has mastered the novella form.” - Eva Tihanyi, author of Flying Underwater: Poems New and Selected

“Carole Giangrande’s Midsummer sets sail in search of distant turning points. She holds the heart of her story gently, and she steers us gracefully through time, and memory. The elegance of her language casts long shadows. She moves us as she writes from the center of longing and wonder.” - Karen Lee Lewis, author of What I Would Not Unravel

My Review 

Lovely. This is the first word that comes to mind about this book. It's rather short, but packs a intensely emotional wallop. The stories weave together in such a unique way that doesn't quite show it's true meaning until the very end.



This is truly a story that must be savored slowly, and enjoyed thoroughly.




Carole GiangrandeAbout Carole Giangrande

Born and raised in the New York City area, Carole Giangrande now resides in Toronto, Canada. Her novella, A Gardener On The Moon was co-winner of the 2010 Ken Klonsky Novella Contest, and is published by Quattro Books. She’s the author of two novels (An Ordinary Star and A Forest Burning), a short story collection (Missing Persons), all published by Cormorant, and two non-fiction books. Her new novella, Midsummer, will be published in April 2014 by Inanna. She’s worked as a broadcast journalist for CBC Radio (Canada’s public broadcaster), and her fiction, articles and reviews have appeared in Canada’s major journals and newspapers. Her 50-part literary podcast Words to Go has been downloaded over 20,000 times in 30 countries. She comments as The Thoughtful Blogger, and she’s recently completed a novel. She’s a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.

Find out more about Carole at her website, connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and find her on Goodreads.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Promo: Messenger




Messenger - Week Blitz
By Laury Falter
Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date Published: May 8, 2014

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Maggie does not know she is a Messenger. She has never met her eternal lover. She has never survived a Fallen One. All this changes when a Messenger awakens in the Hall of Records only to die moments later, never to return.

As Maggie sets out to determine why the Messengers are suddenly beginning to die, she crosses paths with the infuriatingly appealing Eran and their story begins.

In this riveting account of Maggie's first life on earth with Eran, the star-crossed lover's romance transpires amidst treacherous enemies, their friends' resistance, and their own opposing wills. With the odds against her, can Maggie survive long enough to admit the feelings she has so carefully denied?

Messenger is the first prequel to the bestselling Guardian Trilogy - the breathtaking romantic saga about a love that has lasted centuries between a Messenger and her Guardian.


EXCERPT

He strode to me and crouched at my hip. His shirt was already off and the nearness of his well-built chest made it a challenge to stop myself from glancing at it. To my astonishment, he seemed not to notice my internal plight, not even the tremble that shook me when he tenderly took my chin and turned it toward him.

"You're healing nicely," he observed, concentrating on my forehead.

"Mm-hmm." It was all I could muster.

This was the closest we had ever been. His lips were no more than a few inches from me and drew my attention.

"I don't think you'll even scar."

When I didn't answer, I felt a shift in his presence and my eyes darted up to find him staring back with his striking blue-green eyes.

We froze in place.

Only our chests rose and fell, and they did it more rapidly the longer we stared at each other.

As his eyes lowered to my lips, his fingers tightened gently around my chin.

The flare of his nostrils and the intensity of his stare mesmerized me, made me want him closer. And it told me that he was struggling too and was in profound debate over what we were doing. No ward should be this close to their guardian, even if the ward didn't recognize them as one. It was taboo, unheard of, an abject insult to the role the guardian had been given. Yet, here he was, looking at me, at my lips, tensing at the sight of them.

And he wasn't alone in the struggle. For the first time, I forgot my urge to throw him off balance, my need to establish my independence. I was the one quickly losing my poise and forgetting who was dominant. The charm I fought so hard to deny, the very one that drew all others to him, took hold of me. And I gave into it out of my own free will.

About the Author: Laury Falter

Author Laury Falter photo profile_pic_zps5fd369f4.jpg
Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She is also an animal rights activist, a sailor, a one-handed golf putterer, and a Colorado River conqueror.
She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.





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First three books of the bestselling Guardian Trilogy

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Knight Blindness

Gliterary Girl Book Tours presents Chris Karlsen’s KNIGHT BLINDNESS Blog Tour!
Blindness Tour Banner
KnightBlindness HighResABOUT KNIGHT BLINDNESS
Given a choice between the pleasant life you knew centuries ago or the possibility of all you want in an uncertain new world, which would you choose?

Two men torn through time find themselves in the modern but alien world. Old enemies, one hunting the other, one discovering love, both fighting private battles to survive.

Book 3 of The Knights in Time Series
 Ready for battle, Medieval English knight, Stephen Palmer, charges into the French enemy’s cavalry line. Heeding a warning given months before, he hesitates as he comes face-to-face with the knight in the warning. Struck down in the year 1356, he finds himself landing in the year 2013. Grievously wounded, he’s taken to a nearby hospital. Confused by the new world surrounding him, he attempts to convince the staff he’s from another time, only to find they think him mad. Rescued by friends, who, to his surprise, have also come through time, he must find a way to function in this odd modern England. He is quickly enchanted by the kind Esme Crippen, the young woman hired to tutor him. She too is enchanted by him. Tempted to deepen the relationship, she hesitates thinking him adorable, but mad. He must discover the means for getting her to believe the truth, all the while, unknown to him, he didn’t come forward in time alone. The enemy knight has also traveled to 2013. French noble, Roger Marchand, doesn’t question why the English knight who charged him hesitated. That fraction of a pause gave him the advantage needed and he brought his sword down upon the Englishman’s helmet hard, unhorsing the knight. He moved to finish the Englishman off when the world changed in a rush of sensations as he is ripped through time. Seeking a reason for the terrible event, he enters a nearby chapel. There, thinking God has chosen him for a quest to turn French defeat that day in 1356 to victory, he sets out to find the English knight. The man he is convinced holds the key to time. If he returns to the day of the battle, he can warn his king of mistakes that snatched victory from them.

Purchase your copy of KNIGHT BLINDNESS on:

SONY DSCABOUT Chris Karlsen
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books. My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write two different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is, Dangerous Waters. I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, four rescue dogs and a rescue horse.

Stay connected with Chris Karlsen at:


In appreciation to her fans, Chris will have each participating blog give away a copy of her ebooks HEROES LIVE FOREVER and JOURNEY IN TIME.  Please check out each blog and enter the giveaway on each blog's website.

KNIGHT BLINDNESS Blog Tour Schedule:
Monday, May 19th
Tuesday, May 20th
Wednesday, May 21st
Thursday, May 22nd
Friday, May 23rd

Gliterary Girl Book Tours 2

Thursday, May 22, 2014

TLC: Cutting Teeth


Cutting Teeth

Cutting Teeth

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 13, 2014)

One of the most anticipated debut novels of 2014, Cutting Teeth takes place one late-summer weekend as a group of thirty-something couples gather at a shabby beach house on Long Island, their young children in tow.

Nicole, the hostess, struggles to keep her OCD behaviors unnoticed. Stay-at-home dad Rip grapples with the reality that his careerist wife will likely deny him a second child, forcing him to disrupt the life he loves. Allie, one half of a two-mom family, can’t stop imagining ditching her wife and kids in favor of her art. Tiffany, comfortable with her amazing body but not so comfortable in the upper-middle class world the other characters were born into, flirts dangerously, and spars with her best friend Leigh, a blue blood secretly facing financial ruin and dependent on the magical Tibetan nanny everyone else covets. Throughout the weekend, conflicts intensify and painful truths surface. Friendships and alliances crack, forcing the house party to confront a new order.

Cutting Teeth is about the complex dilemmas of early midlife—the vicissitudes of friendship, of romantic and familial love, and of sex. It’s about class tension, status hunger, and the unease of being in possession of life’s greatest bounty while still wondering, is this as good as it gets? And, perhaps most of all, Julia Fierro’s warm and unpretentious debut explores the all-consuming love we feel for those we need most, and the sacrifice and compromise that underpins that love.

“Entertaining, wise, heart-breaking at times, Cutting Teeth is an outstanding debut. Julia Fierro’s particular genius is her ability to understand and render the vagaries of the human heart.”~ Therese Anne Fowler, author of the bestselling Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

 “Timely and observant, Julia Fierro’s debut feels like real life. She captures the anxiety of our times with the authority, insight—and humor—of lived experience.”~ Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Age of Miracles

“I fell in love with Cutting Teeth’s insightful, graceful voice, and a narrative that carried me from beginning to end in one rush. A compelling debut infused with compassion.”~ Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation

“Fierro’s first novel captures the complexity of forging new friendships and redefining lives as contemporary parents. Her characters are meticulously drawn, the situations emotionally charged. Readers, especially young parents, won’t be able to look away.” – BOOKLIST (April issue)
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My Review:
To me one of the biggest things that makes a book good is character development. If the characters are good or bad, it doesn't matter as long as they FEEL real to me. This genre of books, let's call it Mommy-Fic, can feel either really fluffy and comedic or really overly dramatic and fake. Cutting Teeth was a very realistic and at times utterly brutal look at what happens when people become parents, and feel like they are losing themselves.

Not a single one of these characters are very likeable, BUT they do come across as real.  These people are going through what every parent feels in some way or another..the "Who am I now?" question that we all ask ourselves. Some just hide it better.

I really liked the writing style. The changing POV's kept the story flowing. However, the plot was kind of wavering on occasion. I wasn't exactly sure at times there was one, but I did feel the interesting characters made up for it.

All in all I really found myself lost in this world.

JuliaFierrophotoAbout Julia Fierro

Julia Fierro’s debut novel, Cutting Teeth, was listed as one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2014” by HuffPost Books, The Millions, Flavorwire, Brooklyn Magazine, and Marie Claire.  Her work has been published, or is forthcoming, in Guernica, Ploughshares, Poets & Writers, Glamour, and other publications, and she has been profiled in the L Magazine, The Observer, and The Economist.

Connect with Julia

TLC: The Spymistress (WITH GIVEAWAY)


spymistress 

The Spymistress

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Plume (March 25, 2014)
Chiaverini, author of the bestseller MRS. LINCOLN’S DRESSMAKER offers another enthralling historical novel set in the Civil War era, inspired by an overlooked hero, the remarkable Elizabeth Van Lew.  Born to slave-holding aristocracy in Richmond, VA, when her native state seceded in April 1861, her convictions compelled her to defy the new confederate regime and pledge her loyalty to the Lincoln White House.   Van Lew was hailed as “a true Union woman as true as steel” who risked everything by caring for Union prisoners of war—and stealing Confederate secrets.

In THE SPYMISTRESS, Chiaverini, bestselling author of the acclaimed Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, illuminates yet another long-forgotten but pivotal woman in American history, Elizabeth Van Lew. A spinster of independent means, “Lizzie” Van Lew lived in secessionist Virginia in the midst of the Civil War. A proud native of Richmond whose loyalty to the United States never wavered, Lizzie became a Union spy, risking her life to gather military intelligence for Mr. Lincoln’s army.  With her unique blend of historical accuracy and in-depth characterization, Chiaverini weaves a portrait of Van Lew, a woman who held the Union cause higher than the value of her own life. Van Lew cared for Union prisoners, orchestrated escapes from the Confederate Libby Prison, and helped construct the Richmond Underground. Although she was never recognized for these accomplishments while she was alive, Van Lew was posthumously honored with a place in the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

A riveting story of devotion and bravery, THE SPYMISTRESS illustrates the astonishing risks taken by Van Lew, and gives this overlooked hero of the Civil War the credit she deserves.

“A deeply feminist project, recovering the stories and textures of women’s lives during the Civil War.”  —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, named a “Best Book of the Year”

“A compelling read.  Miss Van Lew deserves recognition as an intelligent and resourceful spy who may have shortened the length of the carnage of the Civil War.”  —Historical Novel Society
“Readers of historical fiction will admire Van Lew’s courage and commitment to her principles and the bravery of her ring of spies.”  —Booklist

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Purchase Links

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My Review:
This book was very well written. I really liked Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, so I snatched at the opportunity to read and review this one as well. The style was quite familiar, but definitely (obviously) a different story. Most of the characters, Lizzie especially were all done well. Obviously, the writer has done her homework and knows the time period quite nicely. I'm not a history buff, but this era has always interested me.

Like I stated before, I really enjoy Ms. Chiaverini's writing style. It's easy to slip into and interesting to read. With that said, I felt there were a few moments that just lagged a bit. I understand that the history part of this historical fiction has to be included, but in this instance it just felt a bit bogged down. Maybe the writer was trying to include so much info, that she got overwhelmed? No clue, but I do know Chiaverini can write her way out of those moments, and bring the story back into focus.

All in all I really liked  The Spy Mistress.


Jennifer ChiaveriniAbout Jennifer Chiaverini

Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of the New York Times bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as five collections of quilt projects inspired by the novels. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
Connect with Jennifer on her website, elmcreek.net, and on Twitter @jchiaverini.


Giveaway: I have been given the opportunity to giveaway 1 copy of the book (only US) here on my blog! 

To enter: Just leave a comment with your email and name. 
.

Promo: Hiring the Player

Hiring the player allie 
Hiring the Player
Allie K. Adams

When life gets you down... Kayla Riggs is three weeks from graduation and has yet to have one college experience worthy of a memory, let alone a story to tell people later. Her BFFs make a deal with the player next door—show Kayla how to have a little fun before she settles into a life of mediocrity. Hire a player to pick you up... Jake Swanson only has a few weeks left as a cadet for the Bainbridge Island Fire Department before he can take his practical exams and be hired on permanently. The last thing he needs is a group of crazy women insisting he grant his cute-yet-boring neighbor three insane wishes—one for each week left of school. The only kicker is that she can’t know about the wishes or the deal is off. When they offer him a deal he can’t refuse, he agrees to show Kayla how to have a little fun, and in turn has a lot more fun with her than he expected, or wanted. Now he must choose between keeping his word, or losing his heart.
 Smashwords  |   Amazon 

BIO: 
Allie K. Adams is the bestselling author of several award-winning stories. An active member of the search and rescue, as well as previously served as a reserve deputy, Allie has firsthand experience in most of the dangers she writes about. Known for her highly erotic, deeply intense suspense romances, she can be found most days in front of her computer, saving the world one sizzling story at a time. She grew up in Seattle and now currently lives in southwest Montana with her husband, two kids, and two fluff ball dogs. She loves to hear from readers and encourages them to reach out to her through her website at www.alliekadams.com.

If it doesn't sizzle, it isn't hot enough.

Website: http://alliekadams.com
 Twitter: @alliekadams
Facebook: Facebook profile
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/allie-adams/b/735/482
Blog: http://alliekadams.com/blog

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Spotlight: Fallen Angel

NikkiPart1psjpeg 
Fallen Angel
by
Alisa Anderson & Cameron Skye
Blurb:
NikkiPart2psjpegWhen Jess packed up her belongings and fled her small hometown in Kansas, she never looked back. Free from her family’s dark past she was finally able to pursue her lifelong dream as a professional dancer. She never expected to find herself at his door...or at his club. Nikolas was unlike any other man she had ever met. Sexy…Alluring…Predatory. Dangerous. The kind of man with more secrets than even she had. Every instinct warned Jess against knowing him further, but she always did like playing with fire… Nikolas Roman took one look at Jess and knew she was trouble from the very start. But something about the defiant twist of her mouth and the wide, haunted eyes of a damaged soul touched him in places he had long ago thought dead. He knew he needed to stay far away from her for his own sanity, but like a moth to a flame he was helpless to resist… Working at Takers gentleman's club was the last place Jess thought she would find herself, but she quickly learned how the game was played. See what you want, take what you can get…but at what cost?

NikkiPart3psjpegAuthors’ Bio:
  Alisa Anderson well...alisa did stuff and is still doing stuff. only now she has two boys crazy enuff to want her as their mommy. hey, at least she tried to warn them, so her job is done. she doesn’t like to capitalize, partially because she likes how lower case letters look visually, but mostly out of laziness. please don't judge. it could be you. and she would say, hey. you're alright, buddy. you're ok in my book. now c'mere for a hug. the hug might be pushing it. air kiss? you are strangers, after all, with only a mutual love of poor grammar. ​she lives for a world full of controllable anatomically correct, android men programmed to meet her specific feminine needs (wink, wink, nudge, nudge with a big waggle of the eyebrows). who look like the rock. and ian somerhalder. and idris elba. and that's it she promises. variety. gotta have variety, right? ​but alas...apparently that exists only in johanna lindsey's genius mind. so until then, she enjoys her incredibly warped sense of humor. she reads tons of erotica and romantic, drippy goo that makes her heart go pitter patter. then she thought, hey. what, she said to herself. (softly, of course, so no one finds out she is indeed, 2 nuts short of a fruitcake) maybe you should write this stuff too. maybe someone will like it and maybe buy it. so she said, huh, you think? then she said, well...yeah, i wouldn't have suggested it...(inserts sarcastic tone) and then she was like lose the attitude, ok? then she was all, would you just shut up and write, already? sheesh! and she did. :)  

Cameron Skye When Cameron is not in the lab working toward a Ph.D., in Neuropsychopharmacology, which in laymen's terms is basically finding the effects drugs have on mood and behavior, she is writing stories, crating vivid, intense characters you will never forget. She believes while life can take you down every path but the right one, eventually everyone will find their happily ever after.

Does your mother know what you’re reading?

  Alisa’s Website: www.houseofalisa.com  
Cameron’s Website: http://cameronskyebooks.wix.com/cameronskye
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlisaAndersonBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitchesbewritin
Blog: http://alisaanderson.wordpress.com/
 
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Monday, May 19, 2014

Guest Post: Solomon's Bride

About the book
Solomon's Bride is the dramatic sequel to The Grip of God. Sofia, the heroine, a former princess from Kievan Rus' was enslaved by a Mongol nobleman and then taken as a concubine by the leader of the Mongol invasions, Batu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. Now, having fled the Mongols with a price on her head, Sofia escapes into Persia and what she believes will be safety, only to fall into the clutches of the Assassins, who seek to disrupt the Mongol empire. In a world at war, both outer and inner, the second phase of her adventures unfolds. Can she ever find safe haven, much less the lost love and family that was almost destroyed by the Mongols?

The novel is available both in paperback and Kindle versions and through your local bookstore by special order. The second book, Solomon's Bride, is out now and the third in the trilogy, Consolamentum, will be released soon.


About the author
Rebecca Hazell is a an award winning artist, author and educator. She has written, illustrated and published four non-fiction children’s books, created best selling educational filmstrips, designed educational craft kits for children and even created award winning needlepoint canvases.

She is a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, and she holds an honours BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz in Russian and Chinese history.

Rebecca lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1988 she and her family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in 2006 she and her husband moved to Vancouver Island. They live near their two adult children in the beautiful Cowichan Valley.
Visit Rebecca:



Guest Post: 

Unsung Heroines

We often hear the term unsung heroes, but how about heroines? Too often, women were stereotyped as being non-historical and tied to hearth, home and childbearing, all of no historical importance. The best that was said of them was that they were the glue of society, holding together the culture, social values and even the arts. That seems pretty important to me, even if not as dramatic as starting wars, ending wars, promulgating laws and reforms, etc.

While there are a few women who made it into the history books, like Hatshepsut, female pharaoh of Egypt or Queen Elizabeth I of England, there have been plenty of ordinary unsung heroines whose names never (or barely) made it into history books yet who affected history in ways small and large.

These women may have been married to a so-called great man who listened to her advice, like Roxelana, concubine and then wife of Ottoman emperor Suleiman the Magnificent. Others were simply in the right place at the right time, and their words, deeds or attitudes had influences that we can’t trace. But we can look at our own lives and recall how something someone said, perhaps casually, was pivotal in changing our life’s direction.

My heroine, Princess Sofia Volodymyrovna, is such an unsung heroine. Throughout the trilogy tracing her life, The Grip of God, Solomon’s Bride, and Consolamentum (soon to be released), she is often in the right place at the right time; and her invisible influence is felt in events today. Of course she is fictional, but I can’t help feeling that many women like her must have done just as she did: fought against odds, survived the worst, and resisted injustice, prejudice, or cruelty.

Often taking such a stance was considered unwomanly, uppity, even diabolical. It was certainly dangerous: for instance, Joan of Arc, now sainted, was convicted of heresy in a rigged trial. But I believe that while women’s voices are not always recognized in history books, they are there, echoing down the centuries in ways we can only imagine. After all, in the long run is it more important to be famous or to be heroic?

Sofia elects to follow the latter path, and to find happiness in following her heart rather than seeking fame or fortune. I think both women and men can resonate with her choices and see themselves in her: willing to face difficulties and challenges with both bravery and tenderness. And even if they don’t get into the history books, they are heroines and heroes, too.